Job 31:1-23
Job 31:1-23 The Message (MSG)
“I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes. So what can I expect from God? What do I deserve from God Almighty above? Isn’t calamity reserved for the wicked? Isn’t disaster supposed to strike those who do wrong? Isn’t God looking, observing how I live? Doesn’t he mark every step I take? “Have I walked hand in hand with falsehood, or hung out in the company of deceit? Weigh me on a set of honest scales so God has proof of my integrity. If I’ve strayed off the straight and narrow, wanted things I had no right to, messed around with sin, Go ahead, then— give my portion to someone who deserves it. “If I’ve let myself be seduced by a woman and conspired to go to bed with her, Fine, my wife has every right to go ahead and sleep with anyone she wants to. For disgusting behavior like that, I’d deserve the worst punishment you could hand out. Adultery is a fire that burns the house down; I wouldn’t expect anything I count dear to survive it. “Have I ever been unfair to my employees when they brought a complaint to me? What, then, will I do when God confronts me? When God examines my books, what can I say? Didn’t the same God who made me, make them? Aren’t we all made of the same stuff, equals before God? “Have I ignored the needs of the poor, turned my back on the indigent, Taken care of my own needs and fed my own face while they languished? Wasn’t my home always open to them? Weren’t they always welcome at my table? “Have I ever left a poor family shivering in the cold when they had no warm clothes? Didn’t the poor bless me when they saw me coming, knowing I’d brought coats from my closet? “If I’ve ever used my strength and influence to take advantage of the unfortunate, Go ahead, break both my arms, cut off all my fingers! The fear of God has kept me from these things— how else could I ever face him?
Job 31:1-23 King James Version (KJV)
I made a covenant with mine eyes; Why then should I think upon a maid? For what portion of God is there from above? And what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is not destruction to the wicked? And a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, And count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity, Or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity. If my step hath turned out of the way, And mine heart walked after mine eyes, And if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let my offspring be rooted out. If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, Or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door; Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. For this is an heinous crime; Yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, And would root out all mine increase. If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, When they contended with me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? If I have withheld the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, And I have guided her from my mother's womb;) If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or any poor without covering; If his loins have not blessed me, And if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, When I saw my help in the gate: Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone. For destruction from God was a terror to me, And by reason of his highness I could not endure.
Job 31:1-23 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
“I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? And what is the portion of God from above Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high? Is it not calamity to the unjust And disaster to those who work iniquity? Does He not see my ways And number all my steps? “If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit, Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity. If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart followed my eyes, Or if any spot has stuck to my hands, Let me sow and another eat, And let my crops be uprooted. “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway, May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her. For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges. For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon, And would uproot all my increase. “If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me, What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb? “If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from infancy I guided her), If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering, If his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep, If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had support in the gate, Let my shoulder fall from the socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow. For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing.
Job 31:1-23 New Century Version (NCV)
“But I made an agreement with my eyes not to look with desire at a girl. What has God above promised for people? What has the Almighty planned from on high? It is ruin for evil people and disaster for those who do wrong. God sees my ways and counts every step I take. “If I have been dishonest or lied to others, then let God weigh me on honest scales. Then he will know I have done nothing wrong. If I have turned away from doing what is right, or my heart has been led by my eyes to do wrong, or my hands have been made unclean, then let other people eat what I have planted, and let my crops be plowed up. “If I have desired another woman or have waited at my neighbor’s door for his wife, then let my wife grind another man’s grain, and let other men have sexual relations with her. That would be shameful, a sin to be punished. It is like a fire that burns and destroys; all I have done would be plowed up. “If I have been unfair to my male and female slaves when they had a complaint against me, how could I tell God what I did? What will I answer when he asks me to explain what I’ve done? God made me in my mother’s womb, and he also made them; the same God formed both of us in our mothers’ wombs. “I have never refused the appeals of the poor or let widows give up hope while looking for help. I have not kept my food to myself but have given it to the orphans. Since I was young, I have been like a father to the orphans. From my birth I guided the widows. I have not let anyone die for lack of clothes or let a needy person go without a coat. That person’s heart blessed me, because I warmed him with the wool of my sheep. I have never hurt an orphan even when I knew I could win in court. If I have, then let my arm fall off my shoulder and be broken at the joint. I fear destruction from God, and I fear his majesty, so I could not do such things.
Job 31:1-23 American Standard Version (ASV)
I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin? For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, And number all my steps? If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit (Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity); If my step hath turned out of the way, And my heart walked after mine eyes, And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands: Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out. If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door; Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase. If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? If I have withheld the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother’s womb); If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering; If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate: Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone. For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.
Job 31:1-23 New International Version (NIV)
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? Does he not see my ways and count my every step? “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit— let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless— if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest. “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless— but from my youth I reared them as a father would, and from my birth I guided the widow— if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments, and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.
Job 31:1-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
“I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? For what is the allotment of God from above, And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is it not destruction for the wicked, And disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does He not see my ways, And count all my steps? “If I have walked with falsehood, Or if my foot has hastened to deceit, Let me be weighed on honest scales, That God may know my integrity. If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart walked after my eyes, Or if any spot adheres to my hands, Then let me sow, and another eat; Yes, let my harvest be rooted out. “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, Then let my wife grind for another, And let others bow down over her. For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment. For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction, And would root out all my increase. “If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me, What then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb? “If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or eaten my morsel by myself, So that the fatherless could not eat of it (But from my youth I reared him as a father, And from my mother’s womb I guided the widow); If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or any poor man without covering; If his heart has not blessed me, And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have raised my hand against the fatherless, When I saw I had help in the gate; Then let my arm fall from my shoulder, Let my arm be torn from the socket. For destruction from God is a terror to me, And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.
Job 31:1-23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“I have made a covenant (agreement) with my eyes; How then could I gaze [lustfully] at a virgin? “For what is the portion I would have from God above, And what heritage from the Almighty on high? “Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjust And disaster to those who work wickedness? “Does not God see my ways And count all my steps? ¶“If I have walked with falsehood, Or if my foot has chased after deceit, Oh, let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity. “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, Then let me plant and [let] another eat [from the results of my labor], And let my crops be uprooted and ruined. ¶“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], Let my wife grind [meal, like a bond slave] for another [man], And let others kneel down over her. “For adultery is a heinous and lustful crime; Moreover, it would be a sin punishable by the judges. [Deut 22:22; John 8:5] “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]. ¶“If I have despised and rejected the claim of my male or female servants When they filed a complaint against me, What then could I do when God arises [to judge me]? When He calls me to account, what will I answer Him? [Ps 44:21] “Did not He who made me in the womb make my servant, And did not the same One fashion us both in the womb? [Prov 14:31; 22:2; Mal 2:10] ¶“If I have withheld from the poor what they desired, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief], Or have eaten my morsel [of food] alone, And did not share it with the orphan (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), If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or any poor person without covering, If his loins have not thanked and blessed me [for clothing them], And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, If I have lifted my hand against the orphan, Because I saw [that the judges would be] my help at the [council] gate, Then let my shoulder fall away from its socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow. “For tragedy from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty and exaltation I can do nothing [nor endure facing Him]. [Is 13:6; Joel 1:15]
Job 31:1-23 New Living Translation (NLT)
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. For what has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high? Isn’t it calamity for the wicked and misfortune for those who do evil? Doesn’t he see everything I do and every step I take? “Have I lied to anyone or deceived anyone? Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity. If I have strayed from his pathway, or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty of any other sin, then let someone else eat the crops I have planted. Let all that I have planted be uprooted. “If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife, then let my wife serve another man; let other men sleep with her. For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own. “If I have been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to me, how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me? For God created both me and my servants. He created us both in the womb. “Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans? No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm? “If I raised my hand against an orphan, knowing the judges would take my side, then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket! That would be better than facing God’s judgment. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?
Job 31:1-23 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high? Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? “If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!) 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, then let me sow, and another eat, and let what grows for me be rooted out. “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door, then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her. For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase. “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me, what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow), if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering, if his body has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate, then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket. For I was in terror of calamity from God, and I could not have faced his majesty.