New King James Version

New International Version

Job Defends His Righteousness

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

1

“I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look lustfully at a young woman.

2

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

2

For what is our lot from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high?

3

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

3

Is it not ruin for the wicked,
disaster for those who do wrong?

4

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

4

Does he not see my ways
and count my every step?

5

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

5

“If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit —

6

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

6

let God weigh me in honest scales
and he will know that I am blameless —

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 steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled,

8

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

8

then may others eat what I have sown,
and may my crops be uprooted.

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 by a woman,
or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

10

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

10

then may my wife grind another man’s grain,
and may other men sleep with her.

11

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

11

For that would have been wicked,
a sin to be judged.

12

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

12

It is a fire that burns to Destructiona;
it would have uprooted my harvest.

13

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

13

“If I have denied justice to any of my servants,
whether male or female,
when they had a grievance against me,

14

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

14

what will I do when God confronts me?
What will I answer when called to account?

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 them?
Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

16

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

16

“If I have denied the desires of the poor
or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

17

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

17

if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless —

18

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

18

but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
and from my birth I guided the widow —

19

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

19

if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,
or the needy without garments,

20

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

20

and their hearts did not bless me
for warming them with the fleece from 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,
knowing that I had influence in court,

22

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

22

then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint.

23

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

23

For I dreaded destruction from God,
and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

24

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

24

“If I have put my trust in gold
or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

25

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

25

if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,
the fortune my hands had gained,

26

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

26

if I have regarded the sun in its radiance
or the moon moving in splendor,

27

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

27

so that my heart was secretly enticed
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

28

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

28

then these also would be sins to be judged,
for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

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 my enemy’s misfortune
or gloated over the trouble that came to him —

30

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

30

I have not allowed my mouth to sin
by invoking a curse against their life —

31

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

31

if those of my household have never said,
‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’ —

32

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

32

but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
for my door was always open 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 sin as people do,b
by hiding my guilt 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 so feared the crowd
and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
that I kept silent and would not go outside —

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 someone to hear me!
I sign now my defense — let the Almighty answer me;
let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

36

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

36

Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,
I would put it on like 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 my every step;
I would present it to him as to a ruler.) —

38

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

38

“if my land cries out against me
and all its furrows are wet with tears,

39

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

39

if I have devoured its yield without payment
or broken the spirit of its tenants,

40

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

40

then let briers come up instead of wheat
and stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

Parallel

New King James Version

New International Version

Job 31

Job 31