New King James Version

English Standard Version

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 have made a covenant with my eyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?

2

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

2

What would be my portion from God above
and my heritage from the Almighty 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 disaster for the workers of iniquity?

4

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

4

Does 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 has hastened to deceit;

6

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

6

(Let me be weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)

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 has turned aside from the way
and my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any spot has stuck to my hands,

8

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

8

then let me sow, and another eat,
and let what grows for mea 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 has been enticed toward a woman,
and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,

10

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

10

then let my wife grind for another,
and let others bow down on her.

11

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

11

For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;

12

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

12

for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.

13

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

13

“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
when they brought a complaint against me,

14

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

14

what then shall I do when God rises up?
When he makes inquiry, what shall 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 who 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,

16

“If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17

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

17

or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18

(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 the fatherlessb grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided the widowc),

19

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

19

if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
or the 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 body has not blessed me,d
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

21

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

21

if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
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 blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.

23

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

23

For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.

24

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

24

“If I have made gold my trust
or called fine gold my confidence,

25

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

25

if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because my hand had found much,

26

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

26

if I have looked at the sune when it shone,
or the moon moving in splendor,

27

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

27

and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has 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 to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God 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 have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
or exulted when evil overtook him

30

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

30

(I have not let my mouth sin
by asking for 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 have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been filled 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 sojourner has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler),

33

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

33

if I have concealed my transgressions as others dof
by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

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 stood in great fear of the multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors —

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!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)
Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!

36

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

36

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it on 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 give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.

38

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

38

“If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,

39

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

39

if I have eaten its yield without payment
and made its owners breathe their last,

40

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

40

let thorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Job 31

Job 31