New Living Translation

New King James Version

Job’s Final Protest of Innocence

“I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look with lust at a young woman.

1

Job Defends His Righteousness

“I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I [a]look upon a young woman?

2

For what has God above chosen for us?
What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?

2

For what is the allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3

Isn’t it calamity for the wicked
and misfortune for those who do evil?

3

Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?

4

Doesn’t he see everything I do
and every step I take?

4

Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?

5

“Have I lied to anyone
or deceived anyone?

5

“If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,

6

Let God weigh me on the scales of justice,
for he knows my integrity.

6

[b]Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my integrity.

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,

7

If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,

8

then let someone else eat the crops I have planted.
Let all that I have planted be uprooted.

8

Then let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be [c]rooted out.

9

“If my heart has been seduced by a woman,
or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife,

9

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

10

then let my wife servea another man;
let other men sleep with her.

10

Then let my wife grind for another,
And let others bow down over her.

11

For lust is a shameful sin,
a crime that should be punished.

11

For that would be wickedness;
Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.

12

It is a fire that burns all the way to hell.b
It would wipe out everything I own.

12

For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

13

“If I have been unfair to my male or female servants
when they brought their complaints to me,

13

“If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,

14

how could I face God?
What could I say when he questioned me?

14

What then shall I do when God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?

15

For God created both me and my servants.
He created us both in the womb.

15

Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

16

“Have I refused to help the poor,
or crushed the hopes of widows?

16

“If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17

Have I been stingy with my food
and refused to share it with orphans?

17

Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it

18

No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father,
and all my life I have cared for widows.

18

(But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided [d]the widow);

19

Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes
and the needy with nothing to wear,

19

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;

20

did they not praise me
for providing wool clothing to keep them warm?

20

If his [e]heart has not blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21

“If I raised my hand against an orphan,
knowing the judges would take my side,

21

If I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;

22

then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place!
Let my arm be torn from its socket!

22

Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.

23

That would be better than facing God’s judgment.
For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?

23

For destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

24

“Have I put my trust in money
or felt secure because of my gold?

24

“If I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;

25

Have I gloated about my wealth
and all that I own?

25

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;

26

“Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies,
or the moon walking down its silver pathway,

26

If I have observed the [f]sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,

27

and been secretly enticed in my heart
to throw kisses at them in worship?

27

So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;

28

If so, I should be punished by the judges,
for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.

28

This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

29

“Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies,
or become excited when harm came their way?

29

“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him

30

No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone
or by asking for revenge.

30

(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his [g]soul);

31

“My servants have never said,
‘He let others go hungry.’

31

If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’

32

I have never turned away a stranger
but have opened my doors to everyone.

32

(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the [h]traveler);

33

“Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do,
concealing my guilt in my heart?

33

If I have covered my transgressions as[i] Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

34

Have I feared the crowd
or the contempt of the masses,
so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors?

34

Because I feared the great multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door —

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.

35

Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my [j]Prosecutor had written a book!

36

I would face the accusation proudly.
I would wear it like a crown.

36

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;

37

For I would tell him exactly what I have done.
I would come before him like a prince.

37

I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

38

“If my land accuses me
and all its furrows cry out together,

38

“If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

39

or if I have stolen its crops
or murdered its owners,

39

If I have eaten its [k]fruit without money,
Or caused its owners to lose their lives;

40

then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat,
and weeds instead of barley.”
Job’s words are ended.

40

Then let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Job 31

Job 31