New King James Version

Darby Bible Translation

Job Defends His Righteousness

“I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I [a]look upon a young woman?

1

Job's Final Appeal

I made a covenant with mine eyes; and how should I fix my regard upon a maid?

2

For what is the allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

2

For what would have been [my] portion of +God from above, and what the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

3

Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?

3

Is not calamity for the unrighteous? and misfortune for the workers of iniquity?

4

Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?

4

Doth not he see my ways, and number all my steps?

5

“If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,

5

If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot hath hasted to deceit,

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[b]Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my integrity.

6

(Let me be weighed in an even balance, and +God will take knowledge of my blamelessness;)

7

If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,

7

If my step have turned out of the way, and my heart followed mine eyes, and if any blot cleaveth to my hands;

8

Then let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be [c]rooted out.

8

Let me sow, and another eat; and let mine offspring be rooted out.

9

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

9

If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, so that I laid wait at my neighbour's door,

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Then let my wife grind for another,
And let others bow down over her.

10

Let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.

11

For that would be wickedness;
Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.

11

For this is an infamy; yea, it is an iniquity [to be judged by] the judges:

12

For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

12

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13

“If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,

13

If I have despised the cause of my bondman or of my bondmaid, when they contended with me,

14

What then shall I do when God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?

14

What then should I do when God riseth up? and if he visited, what should I answer him?

15

Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

15

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not One fashion us in the womb?

16

“If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

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If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

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Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it

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Or have eaten my morsel alone, so that the fatherless ate not thereof,

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(But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided [d]the widow);

18

(For from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided the [widow] from my mother's womb;)

19

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;

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If I have seen any perishing for want of clothing, or any needy without covering;

20

If his [e]heart has not blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

20

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

21

If I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;

21

If I have lifted up my hand against an orphan, because I saw my help in the gate:

22

Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.

22

[Then] let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone!

23

For destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

23

For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I was powerless.

24

“If I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;

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If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, My confidence!

25

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;

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If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

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If I have observed the [f]sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,

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If I beheld the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,

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So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;

27

And my heart have been secretly enticed, so that my mouth kissed my hand:

28

This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

28

This also would be an iniquity for the judge, for I should have denied the God who is above.

29

“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him

29

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, and exulted when evil befell him;

30

(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his [g]soul);

30

(Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse;)

31

If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’

31

If the men of my tent said not, Who shall find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat? --

32

(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the [h]traveler);

32

The stranger did not lodge without; I opened my doors to the pathway.

33

If I have covered my transgressions as[i] Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

33

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

34

Because I feared the great multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door —

34

Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door, ...

35

Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my [j]Prosecutor had written a book!

35

Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my signature: let the Almighty answer me! And let mine opponent write an accusation!

36

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;

36

Would I not take it upon my shoulder? I would bind it on to me [as] a crown;

37

I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

37

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I come near to him.

38

“If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

38

If my land cry out against me, and its furrows weep together;

39

If I have eaten its [k]fruit without money,
Or caused its owners to lose their lives;

39

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have tormented to death the souls of its owners:

40

Then let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

40

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and tares instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

Parallel

New King James Version

Darby Bible Translation

Job 31

Job 31