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Job 31
1599 Geneva Bible
Job 31
1599 Geneva Bible
31 1 Job reciteth the innocence of his living and number of his virtues, which declareth what ought to be the life of the faithful.
1 I made a covenant with mine [a]eyes: why then should I think on [b]a maid?
2 For what portion should I have of God from above? and what inheritance of the almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked, and strange punishment to [c]the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he behold my ways, and tell all my steps?
5 If I have walked in vanity, or if my foot hath made haste to deceit?
6 Let God weigh me in the just balance, and he shall know my [d]uprightness.
7 If my step hath turned out of the way, or mine heart hath [e]walked after mine eye, or if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands,
8 Let me sow, and let another [f]eat: yea, let my plants be rooted out.
9 If mine heart hath been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at the door of my neighbor,
10 Let my wife [g]grind unto another man, and let other men bow down upon her.
11 For this is a wickedness, and iniquity to be condemned.
12 Yea, this is a fire that shall devour [h]to destruction, and which shall root out all my increase.
13 If I did contemn the judgment of my servant, and of my maid, when they [i]did contend with me,
14 What then shall I do when [j]God standeth up? and when he shall visit me, what shall I answer?
15 He that hath made me in the womb, hath he not made [k]him? hath not he alone fashioned us in the womb?
16 If I restrained the poor of their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow [l]to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof,
18 (For from my youth hath he grown up with me [m]as with a father, and from my mother’s womb have I been a guide unto her.)
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering,
20 If his loins have not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted [n]up mine hand against the fatherless, when I saw that I might help him in the gate,
22 Let mine [o]arm fall from my shoulder, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For God’s punishment was [p]fearful unto me, and I could not be delivered from his Highness.
24 If I made gold mine hope, or have said to the wedge of gold, Thou art my confidence,
25 If I rejoiced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten much,
26 If I did behold the [q]sun, when it shined, or the moon walking in her brightness,
27 If mine heart did flatter me in secret, or if my mouth did kiss mine [r]hand,
28 (This also had been an iniquity to be condemned: for I had denied the God [s]above.)
29 If I rejoiced at his destruction that hated me, or was moved to joy when evil came upon him,
30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse unto his soul.
31 Did not the men of my [t]Tabernacle say, Who shall give us of his flesh? we cannot be satisfied.
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street, but I opened my doors unto him, that went by the way.
33 If I have hid [u]my sins, as Adam, concealing mine iniquity in my bosom,
34 Though I could have made afraid a great multitude, yet the most contemptible of the families did [v]fear me: so I kept [w]silence, and went not out of the door.
35 Oh that I had some to hear me! behold my [x]sign that the Almighty will witness for me: though mine adversary should write a book against me,
36 Would not I take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a [y]crown unto me?
37 I will tell him the number of my goings, and go unto him as to a [z]prince.
38 If my land [aa]cry against me, or the furrows thereof complain together,
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without silver: or if I have grieved [ab]the souls of the masters thereof,
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle in the stead of barley.
THE [ac]WORDS OF JOB ARE ENDED.
Footnotes
- Job 31:1 I kept my eyes from all wanton looks.
- Job 31:1 Would not God then have punished me?
- Job 31:3 Job declareth that the fear of God was a bridle to stay him from all wickedness.
- Job 31:6 He showeth wherein his uprightness standeth, that is, inasmuch as he was blameless before men, and sinned not against the second Table.
- Job 31:7 That is, hath accomplished the lust of mine eyes.
- Job 31:8 According to the curse of the law, Deut. 28:33.
- Job 31:10 Let her be made a slave.
- Job 31:12 He showeth that albeit man neglect the punishment of adultery, yet the wrath of God will never cease till such be destroyed.
- Job 31:13 When they thought themselves evil entreated by me.
- Job 31:14 If I had oppressed others, how should I have escaped God’s judgment.
- Job 31:15 He was moved to show pity unto servants, because they were God’s creatures as he was.
- Job 31:16 By long waiting for her request.
- Job 31:18 He nourished the fatherless, and maintained the widow’s cause.
- Job 31:21 To oppress him and to do him injury.
- Job 31:22 Let me rot in pieces.
- Job 31:23 I refrained not from sinning for fear of men, but because I feared God.
- Job 31:26 If I was proud of my worldly prosperity and felicity, which is meant by the shining of the sun, and brightness of the moon.
- Job 31:27 If mine own doings delighted me.
- Job 31:28 By putting confidence in anything but in him alone.
- Job 31:31 My servants moved me to be revenged of mine enemy, yet did I never wish him hurt.
- Job 31:33 And not confessed it freely: whereby it is evident that he justified himself before men, and not before God.
- Job 31:34 That is, I reverenced the most weak and contemned, and was afraid to offend them.
- Job 31:34 I suffered them to speak evil of me, and went not out of my house to revenge it.
- Job 31:35 This is a sufficient token of my righteousness, that God is my witness and will justify my cause.
- Job 31:36 Should not this book of his accusations be a praise and commendation to me?
- Job 31:37 I will make him account of all my life, without fear.
- Job 31:38 As though I had withheld their wages that labored in it.
- Job 31:39 Meaning, that he was no briber nor extortioner.
- Job 31:40 That is, the talk which he had with his three friends.
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)
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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