Job 31 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 31 ▼
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1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. “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 For what has God above chosen for us? What is our 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 Isn’t it calamity for the wicked and misfortune for those who do evil? 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 everything I do and every step I take? Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? Does he not see my ways and count my every step?
5 “Have I lied to anyone or deceived anyone? “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 God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows 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 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, 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 the crops I have planted. Let all that I have planted 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, or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife, “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 serve another man; let other men 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 For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. 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 is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own. 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 been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to 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 how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me? 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 For God created both me and my servants. He created us both 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 “Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? “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 Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with 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 No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. (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 Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, 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 did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them 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 raised my hand against an orphan, knowing the judges would take my side, 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 be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket! 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 That would be better than facing God’s judgment. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there? 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 “Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold? “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 Have I gloated about my wealth and all that I own? 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 “Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway, 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 and been secretly enticed in my heart to throw kisses at them in worship? 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 If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven. 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 ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way? “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 have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge. (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 “My servants have never said, ‘He let others go hungry.’ 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 I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone. (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 tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart? 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 the crowd or the contempt of the masses, so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors? 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 someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against 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 would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it 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 For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before 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 accuses me and all its furrows cry out together, “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 or if I have stolen its crops or murdered 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 then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” Job’s words are ended. 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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