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Job 31
Amplified Bible
Job 31
Amplified Bible
Job Asserts His Integrity
31 “I have made a covenant (agreement) with my eyes;
How then could I gaze [lustfully] at a virgin?
2
“For what is the portion I would have from God above,
And what heritage from the Almighty on high?
3
“Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjust
And disaster to those who work wickedness?
4
“Does not God see my ways
And count all my steps?
5
“If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has chased after deceit,
6
Oh, let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
7
“If my step has turned away from the way [of God],
Or if my heart has [covetously] followed my eyes,
Or if any spot [of guilt] has stained my hands,
8
Then let me plant and [let] another eat [from the results of my labor],
And let my crops be uprooted and ruined.
9
“If my heart has been enticed and I was made a fool by a woman,
Or if I have [covetously] lurked at my neighbor’s door [until his departure],
10
Let my wife grind [meal, like a bond slave] for another [man],
And let others [a]kneel down over her.
11
“For adultery is a heinous and lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be a sin punishable by the judges.(A)
12
“For it is a fire which consumes to Abaddon (destruction, ruin, final torment);
And [illicit passion] would burn and rage and uproot all my [life’s] increase [destroying everything].
13
“If I have despised and rejected the claim of my male or female servants
When they filed a complaint against me,
14
What then could I do when God arises [to judge me]?
When He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?(B)
15
“Did not He who made me in the womb make my servant,
And did not the same One fashion us both in the womb?(C)
16
“If I have withheld from the poor what they desired,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief],
17
Or have eaten my morsel [of food] alone,
And did not share it with the orphan
18
(But from my youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father,
And from my mother’s womb I have been the widow’s guide),
19
If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor person without covering,
20
If his loins have not thanked and blessed me [for clothing them],
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21
If I have lifted my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw [that the judges would be] my help at the [council] gate,
22
Then let my shoulder fall away from its socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.
23
“For tragedy from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty and exaltation I can do nothing [nor endure facing Him].(D)
24
“If I have put my trust and confidence in gold,
Or have declared fine gold my hope and assurance,
25
If I gloated and rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my [powerful] hand [alone] had obtained so much,
26
If I beheld the sun [as an object of worship] when it shone
Or the moon going in its splendor,
27
And my heart became secretly enticed [by them],
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth [in respect to them],
28
This also would have been [a heinous] sin calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.(E)
29
“Have I rejoiced at the destruction of the enemy [who hated me],
Or exulted [in malicious triumph] when evil overtook him?
30
“No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By cursing my enemy and asking for his life.
31
“I assure you, the men of my tent have said,
‘Who can find one [in need] who has not been satisfied with his meat’?
32
“The stranger has not lodged in the street,
Because I have opened my door to the traveler.
33
“Have I concealed my transgressions like Adam or like other men,
By hiding my wickedness in my bosom,
34
Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
So that I kept silence and did not acknowledge my sin and did not go out of the door?
35
“Oh, that I had one to listen to me!
Look, here is my signature (mark);
Let the Almighty answer me!
Let my adversary write out His indictment [and put His vague accusations in tangible form].
36
“Surely I would [proudly] bear it on my shoulder,
And bind the scroll around my head like a crown.
37
“I would count out to Him the number of my steps [with every detail of my life],
Approaching His presence as if I were a prince.
38
“For if my land has cried out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39
If I have eaten its fruits without paying for them,
Or have caused its [rightful] owners to lose their lives,
40
Let thorns grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed and cockleburs instead of barley.”
So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.
Footnotes
- Job 31:10 I.e. participate in sexual intimacy.
Job 31
New International Version
Job 31
New International Version
31 “I made a covenant with my eyes(A)
not to look lustfully at a young woman.(B)
2 For what is our lot(C) from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high?(D)
3 Is it not ruin(E) for the wicked,
disaster(F) for those who do wrong?(G)
4 Does he not see my ways(H)
and count my every step?(I)
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit(J)—
6 let God weigh me(K) in honest scales(L)
and he will know that I am blameless(M)—
7 if my steps have turned from the path,(N)
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands(O) have been defiled,(P)
8 then may others eat what I have sown,(Q)
and may my crops be uprooted.(R)
9 “If my heart has been enticed(S) by a woman,(T)
or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind(U) another man’s grain,
and may other men sleep with her.(V)
11 For that would have been wicked,(W)
a sin to be judged.(X)
12 It is a fire(Y) that burns to Destruction[a];(Z)
it would have uprooted my harvest.(AA)
13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(AB)
whether male or female,
when they had a grievance against me,(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?(AD)
What will I answer when called to account?(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?(AF)
Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?(AG)
16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(AH)
or let the eyes of the widow(AI) grow weary,(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless(AK)—
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
and from my birth I guided the widow(AL)—
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(AM)
or the needy(AN) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(AO)
for warming them with the fleece(AP) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(AQ)
knowing that I had influence in court,(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint.(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(AT)
and for fear of his splendor(AU) I could not do such things.(AV)
24 “If I have put my trust in gold(AW)
or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,(AY)
the fortune my hands had gained,(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun(BA) in its radiance
or the moon(BB) moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed(BC)
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,(BE)
for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.(BF)
29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune(BG)
or gloated over the trouble that came to him(BH)—
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
by invoking a curse against their life(BI)—
31 if those of my household have never said,
‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’(BJ)—
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
for my door was always open to the traveler(BK)—
33 if I have concealed(BL) my sin as people do,[b]
by hiding(BM) my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd(BN)
and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
that I kept silent(BO) and would not go outside—
35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!(BP)
I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
let my accuser(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,(BR)
I would put it on like a crown.(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;(BT)
I would present it to him as to a ruler.(BU))—
38 “if my land cries out against me(BV)
and all its furrows are wet(BW) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(BX)
or broken the spirit of its tenants,(BY)
40 then let briers(BZ) come up instead of wheat
and stinkweed(CA) instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.(CB)
Amplified Bible (AMP) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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