Job 31 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 31 ▼
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1 |I made a covenant with my eyes; how, then, can I focus my attention on 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 I have from God above, what heritage 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 if not calamity that is due the unjust, and misfortune that is due those who practice iniquity? 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 He watches my life, observing every one of my actions, does he not?| 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've lived my life in the company of vanity, or run quickly to embrace 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 let my righteousness be weighed in honest scales, and God will make known my 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 I have stepped away from the way, or if my heart covets whatever my eyes see, or if some other blemish clings to my hands, 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 what I've planted, let another eat or 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 my heart has been seduced by a woman and I've laid in wait at my friend'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 cook for another person and may someone else sleep with 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 because something as lascivious as that is an iniquity that should be judged. 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 The fires of Abaddon will burn, disrupting every part of my eternal reward.| 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've refused to help my male and female servants when they complain against 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 what will I do when God stands up to act? When he asks the questions, how will 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 The one who made me in the womb made them, too, didn't he? Didn't the same one prepare each of 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 refused to grant the desire of the poor or exhausted the eyes of the widow, “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 if I ate my meals by myself without feeding orphans, 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 (even a poor man had grown up with me as if I were his father, and even though I had guided the widow from the time I was born), (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've observed someone who is about to die for lack of clothes or if I have no clothing to give to the poor, 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 he hadn't thanked me from the bottom of his heart, if he had not been warmed by wool from my sheep, 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've raised my hand against an orphan when I thought I would against him 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 arm fall from its socket; and may my arm be torn off at the shoulder. 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 For I'm terrified of what calamity God may have in store for me; and I cannot endure his grandeur.| 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've put my confidence in gold, if I've told gold, 'You're my security,' “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've found joy in great wealth that I own, if I've earned a lot with my own hands, 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 look at the sun when it shines or the moon as it rises in steady 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 in the depths of my deceived heart I worshipped them with my mouth and hands, 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 this is also a sin that deserves to be judged, since I would have tried to deceive 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 |Have I rejoiced in the destruction of those who hate me, or have I been happy that evil caught up with 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 No, I haven't allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse. (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 People in my household have said, 'We cannot find anyone who has not been satisfied with his meat,' haven't they? 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 No stranger ever spent the night in the street, because I opened my doors to travelers.| (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 |Have I covered my transgression like other people, to conceal iniquity within 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 Have I feared large crowds? Has my family's contempt ever terrified me so that I remained silent and wouldn'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 |Who will grant me a hearing? Here's my signature —let the Almighty answer! Since my adversary indicted me, 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'll wear it on my shoulder, or tie it on my head for 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'll give an account for every step I've taken; I'll approach him confidently like a Commander-in-Chief.| 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 were to cry out against me or if all its furrows wept as one, “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've consumed its produce without paying for it and snuffed out the life of its owners; 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 may thorns spring up instead of wheat, and obnoxious weeds instead of barley.| With this, Job's discourse with his friends is completed. 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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