Book of Job Chapter 31 Asserts His Integrity

“I have made a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 “And what is the portion of God from above
Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
3 “Is it not calamity to the unjust
And disaster to those who work iniquity?
4 “Does He not see my ways
And number all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,
6 Let Him weigh me with [a]accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
7 “If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart [b]followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me sow and another eat,
And let my [c]crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife grind for another,
And let others [d]kneel down over her.
11 “For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.
12 “For it would be fire that consumes to [e]Abaddon,
And would uproot all my [f]increase.
13 “If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?
15 “Did not He who made me in the womb make him,
And the same one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not [g]shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from [h]infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,
20 If his loins have not [i]thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw [j]I had support in the gate,
22 Let my shoulder fall from the [k]socket,
And my arm be broken off [l]at the elbow.
23 “For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His [m]majesty I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had secured so much;
26 If I have looked at the [n]sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand [o]threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been an iniquity calling for [p]judgment,
For I would have denied God above.
29 “Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy,
Or [q]exulted when evil befell him?
30 “[r]No, I have not [s]allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.
31 “Have the men of my tent not said,
‘Who can [t]find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’?
32 “The alien has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the [u]traveler.
33 “Have I covered my transgressions like [v]Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And kept silent and did not go out of doors?
35 “Oh that I had one to hear me!
Behold, here is my [w]signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written,
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
I would bind it to myself like a crown.
37 “I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.
38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have eaten its [x]fruit without money,
Or have caused [y]its owners to lose their lives,
40 Let briars [z]grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.