Job 31 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 31 ▼
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1 |I have made an agreement with my eyes. Then how can I look with lust at a virgin? “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.
2 What would God above do [to me]? What would be my inheritance from the Almighty on high? What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high? For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Aren't there catastrophes for wicked people and disasters for those who do wrong? Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong?
4 Doesn't he see my ways and count all my steps? Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? Does he not see my ways and count my every step?
5 |If I have walked with lies or my feet have run after deception, “If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—
6 [then] let God weigh me on honest scales, and he will know I have integrity. (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!) let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless—
7 |If my steps have left the [proper] path, or my heart has followed [the desire of] my eyes, or my hands are stained [with sin], 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, 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 someone else eat what I have planted, and let my crops be uprooted. then let me sow, and another eat, and let what grows for me be rooted out. then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
9 |If I have been seduced by a woman or I have secretly waited near my neighbor's door, “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door, “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 [man], and let other [men] kneel over her. then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her. then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her.
11 That would be a scandal, and that would be a criminal offense. For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged.
12 It would be a fire that burns even in Abaddon. It would uproot my entire harvest. for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase. It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest.
13 |If I have abused the rights of my servants, male or female, when they have disagreed with me, “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me, “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me,
14 then what could I do if God rises up? If he examines me, how could I answer him? what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account?
15 Didn't he who made me in my mother's belly make them? Didn't the same God form us in the womb? Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? 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 refused the requests of the poor or made a widow's eyes stop [looking for help], “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,
17 or have eaten my food alone without letting the orphan eat any of it.... or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless—
18 (From my youth the orphan grew up with me as though I were his father, and from my birth I treated the widow kindly.) (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow), 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 die because he had no clothes or a poor person going naked.... if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering, if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments,
20 (If his body didn't bless me, or the wool from my sheep didn't keep him warm....) if his body has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep,
21 If I have shaken my fist at an orphan because I knew that others would back me up in court, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,
22 [then] let my shoulder fall out of its socket, and let my arm be broken at the elbow. then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket. then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint.
23 |A disaster from God terrifies me. In the presence of his majesty I can do nothing. For I was in terror of calamity from God, and I could not have faced his majesty. For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.
24 |If I put my confidence in gold or said to fine gold, 'I trust you'.... “If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
25 If I enjoyed being very rich because my hand had found great [wealth].... if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much, if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,
26 If I saw the light shine or the moon move along in its splendor if I have looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor, if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly tempted, and I threw them a kiss with my hand, and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,
28 then that, too, would be a criminal offense, and I would have denied God above. this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above. then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
29 |If I enjoyed the ruin of my enemy or celebrated when harm came to him “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him—
30 (even though I didn't speak sinfully by calling down a curse on his life).... (I have not let my mouth sin by asking for his life with a curse), I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life—
31 |If the people who were in my tent had said, 'We wish we had never filled [our stomachs] with his food'.... if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’ if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’—
32 (The visitor never spent the night outside, because I opened my door to the traveler.) (the sojourner has not lodged in the street; I have opened my doors to the traveler), 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 disobedience like Adam and kept my sin to myself, if I have concealed my transgressions as others do by hiding my iniquity in my heart, if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart
34 because I dreaded the large, noisy crowd and because the contempt of the [local] mobs terrified me so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside.... because I stood in great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors— because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside—
35 |If only I had someone who would listen to me! Look, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me. Let the prosecutor write [his complaint] on a scroll. Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary! (“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 I would certainly carry it on my shoulder and place it on my head like a crown. Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown; Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown.
37 I would tell him the number of my steps and approach him like a prince. I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him. I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—
38 |If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept.... “If my land has cried out against me and its furrows have wept together, “if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears,
39 If I have eaten its produce without paying for it and made its owners breathe their last, if I have eaten its yield without payment and made its owners breathe their last, if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 [then] let it grow thistles instead of wheat, and foul-smelling weeds instead of barley.| This is the end of Job's words. let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended. then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
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