Job 31
New American Standard Bible 1995
Job Asserts His Integrity
31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 “And what is (B)the portion of God from above
Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
3 “Is it not (C)calamity to the unjust
And disaster to (D)those who work iniquity?
4 “Does He not (E)see my ways
And (F)number all my steps?
5 “If I have (G)walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,
6 Let Him (H)weigh me with [a]accurate scales,
And let God know (I)my integrity.
7 “If my step has (J)turned from the way,
Or my heart [b]followed my eyes,
Or if any (K)spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me (L)sow and another eat,
And let my [c](M)crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been (N)enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife (O)grind for another,
And let (P)others [d]kneel down over her.
11 “For that would be a (Q)lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be (R)an iniquity punishable by judges.
12 “For it would be (S)fire that consumes to [e](T)Abaddon,
And would (U)uproot all my [f]increase.
13 “If I have (V)despised the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?
15 “Did not (W)He who made me in the womb make him,
And the same one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept (X)the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of (Y)the widow to fail,
17 Or have (Z)eaten my morsel alone,
And (AA)the orphan has not [g]shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from [h]infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish (AB)for lack of clothing,
Or that (AC)the needy had no covering,
20 If his loins have not [i]thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against (AD)the orphan,
Because I saw [j]I had support (AE)in the gate,
22 Let my shoulder fall from the [k]socket,
And my (AF)arm be broken off [l]at the elbow.
23 “For (AG)calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of (AH)His [m]majesty I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in (AI)gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have (AJ)gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had secured so much;
26 If I have (AK)looked at the [n]sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand [o]threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been (AL)an iniquity calling for [p]judgment,
For I would have (AM)denied God above.
29 “Have I (AN)rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy,
Or [q]exulted when evil befell him?
30 “[r]No, (AO)I have not [s]allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in (AP)a curse.
31 “Have the men of my tent not said,
‘Who can [t]find one who has not been (AQ)satisfied with his meat’?
32 “The alien has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the [u]traveler.
33 “Have I (AR)covered my transgressions like [v]Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I (AS)feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And kept silent and did not go out of doors?
35 “Oh that I had one to hear me!
Behold, here is my [w]signature;
(AT)Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my (AU)adversary has written,
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
I would bind it to myself like a crown.
37 “I would declare to Him (AV)the number of my steps;
Like (AW)a prince I would approach Him.
38 “If my (AX)land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have (AY)eaten its [x]fruit without money,
Or have (AZ)caused [y]its owners to lose their lives,
40 Let (BA)briars [z]grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Footnotes
- Job 31:6 Lit just
- Job 31:7 Lit walked after
- Job 31:8 Or offspring
- Job 31:10 I.e. sexual relations
- Job 31:12 I.e. place of destruction
- Job 31:12 Or yield
- Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it
- Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb
- Job 31:20 Lit blessed
- Job 31:21 Lit my help
- Job 31:22 Lit shoulder; or back
- Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm
- Job 31:23 Lit exaltation
- Job 31:26 Lit light
- Job 31:27 Lit kissed my mouth
- Job 31:28 Lit judges
- Job 31:29 Lit lifted myself up
- Job 31:30 Lit And
- Job 31:30 Lit given my palate
- Job 31:31 Lit give
- Job 31:32 M.T. way
- Job 31:33 Or mankind
- Job 31:35 Lit mark
- Job 31:39 Lit strength
- Job 31:39 Lit the soul of its owners to expire
- Job 31:40 Lit come forth
Job 32
New American Standard Bible 1995
Elihu in Anger Rebukes Job
32 Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was (A)righteous in his own eyes. 2 But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the (B)Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned (C)because he justified himself [a](D)before God. 3 And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4 Now Elihu had waited [b]to speak to Job because they were years older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned.
6 So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite [c]spoke out and said,
“I am young in years and you are (E)old;
Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you [d]what I think.
7 “I [e]thought [f](F)age should speak,
And [g]increased years should teach wisdom.
8 “But it is a spirit in man,
And the (G)breath of the Almighty gives them (H)understanding.
9 “The [h]abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may (I)elders understand justice.
10 “So I [i]say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell [j]what I think.’
11 “Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings,
While you [k]pondered what to say.
12 “I even paid close attention to you;
[l]Indeed, there was no one who refuted Job,
Not one of you who answered his words.
13 “Do not say,
‘(J)We have found wisdom;
God will [m]rout him, not man.’
14 “For he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I reply to him with your [n]arguments.
15 “They are dismayed, they no longer answer;
Words have [o]failed them.
16 “Shall I wait, because they do not speak,
Because they [p]stop and no longer answer?
17 “I too will answer my share,
I also will tell my opinion.
18 “For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constrains me.
19 “Behold, my belly is like unvented wine,
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
20 “Let me speak that I may get relief;
Let me open my lips and answer.
21 “Let me now (K)be partial to no one,
Nor flatter any man.
22 “For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me away.
Footnotes
- Job 32:2 Or more than
- Job 32:4 Lit for Job with words; or possibly while they were speaking with Job
- Job 32:6 Lit answered
- Job 32:6 Lit my knowledge
- Job 32:7 Lit said
- Job 32:7 Lit days
- Job 32:7 Lit many
- Job 32:9 Or nobles
- Job 32:10 Or said
- Job 32:10 Lit my knowledge
- Job 32:11 Lit searched out words
- Job 32:12 Lit Behold
- Job 32:13 Lit drive away
- Job 32:14 Lit words
- Job 32:15 Lit moved away from
- Job 32:16 Lit stand
Job 33
New American Standard Bible 1995
Elihu Claims to Speak for God
33 “However now, Job, please (A)hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 “Behold now, I open my mouth,
My tongue in my [a]mouth speaks.
3 “My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak (B)knowledge sincerely.
4 “The (C)Spirit of God has made me,
And the (D)breath of [b]the Almighty gives me life.
5 “(E)Refute me if you can;
Array yourselves before me, take your stand.
6 “Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been [c]formed out of the (F)clay.
7 “Behold, (G)no fear of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words:
9 ‘I am (H)pure, (I)without transgression;
I am innocent and there (J)is no guilt in me.
10 ‘Behold, He [d]invents pretexts against me;
He (K)counts me as His enemy.
11 ‘He (L)puts my feet in the stocks;
He watches all my paths.’
12 “Behold, let me [e]tell you, (M)you are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.
13 “Why do you (N)complain against Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?
14 “Indeed (O)God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one notices it.
15 “In a (P)dream, a vision of the night,
When sound sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
16 Then (Q)He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction,
17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And [f]keep man from pride;
18 He (R)keeps back his soul from the pit,
And his life from [g]passing over (S)into Sheol.
19 “[h]Man is also chastened with (T)pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones;
20 So that his life (U)loathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.
21 “His (V)flesh wastes away from sight,
And his (W)bones which were not seen stick out.
22 “Then (X)his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.
23 “If there is an angel as (Y)mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To remind a man what is [i]right for him,
24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from (Z)going down to the pit,
I have found a (AA)ransom’;
25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,
Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;
26 Then he will (AB)pray to God, and He will accept him,
That (AC)he may see His face with joy,
And He may restore His righteousness to man.
27 “He will sing to men and say,
‘I (AD)have sinned and perverted what is right,
And it is not (AE)proper for me.
28 ‘He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit,
And my life shall (AF)see the light.’
29 “Behold, God does (AG)all these [j]oftentimes with men,
30 To (AH)bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 “Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and let me speak.
32 “Then if [k]you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 “If not, (AI)listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
