Job 31

New American Standard Bible 2020

Job Asserts His Integrity

1“I have made a covenant with my 1eyes; How then could I look at a virgin?2And what is 2the portion of God from above, Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?3Is it not 3disaster to the criminal, And misfortune to 4those who practice injustice?4Does He not 5see my ways, And 6count all my steps?

5“If I have 7walked with deception, And my foot has hurried after deceit,6Let Him 8weigh me with 9accurate scales, And let God know 10my integrity.7If my step has 11turned from the way, Or my heart 12followed my eyes, Or if any 13spot has stuck to my hands,8Let me 14sow and another eat, And let my 15 16crops be uprooted.

9“If my heart has been 17enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,10May my wife 18grind grain for another, And let 19others 20kneel down over her.11For that would be a 21lustful crime; Moreover, it would be 22wrongdoing punishable by judges.12For it would be 23fire that consumes to 24 25Abaddon, And would 26uproot all my 27increase.

13“If I have 28rejected the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,14What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?15Did 29He who made me in the womb not make him, And the same one create us in the womb?

16“If I have kept 30the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of 31the widow to fail,17Or have 32eaten my morsel alone, And 33the orphan has not 34shared it18(But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from 35my infancy I guided her),19If I have seen anyone perish 36for lack of clothing, Or that 37the needy had no covering,20If his waist has not 38thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,21If I have lifted up my hand against 39the orphan, Because I saw 40I had support 41in the gate,22May my shoulder fall from its 42socket, And my 43arm be broken off 44at the elbow.23For 45disaster from God is a terror to me, And because of 46His majesty I can do nothing.

24“If I have put my confidence in 47gold, And called fine gold my trust,25If I have 48gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had obtained so much;26If I have 49looked at the 50sun when it shone, Or the moon going in splendor,27And my heart was secretly enticed, And my hand 51threw a kiss from my mouth,28That too would have been 52a guilty deed calling for 53judgment, For I would have 54denied God above.

29“Have I 55rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy, Or become excited when evil found him?30 56No, 57I have not 58allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in 59a curse.31Have the people of my tent not said, ‘Who can 60find one who has not been 61satisfied with his meat’?32The stranger has not spent the night outside, For I have opened my doors to the 62traveler.33Have I 63covered my wrongdoings like a man, By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,34Because I 64feared the great multitude And the contempt of families terrified me, And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?35Oh that I had one to hear me! Here is my 65signature; 66Let the Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my 67adversary has written,36I would certainly carry it on my shoulder, I would tie it to myself like a garland.37I would declare to Him 68the number of my steps; Like 69a prince, I would approach Him.

38“If my 70land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together;39If I have 71eaten its 72fruit without money, Or have 73caused 74its owners to lose their lives,40May the 75thorn-bush 76grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

Notes

1. Job 31:1 Matt 5:28 ↩
2. Job 31:2 Job 20:29 ↩
3. Job 31:3 Job 18:12; 21:30 ↩
4. Job 31:3 Job 34:22 ↩
5. Job 31:4 2 Chr 16:9; Job 24:23; 28:24; 34:21; 36:7; Prov 5:21; 15:3 ↩
6. Job 31:4 Job 14:16; 31:37 ↩
7. Job 31:5 Job 15:31; Mic 2:11 ↩
8. Job 31:6 Job 6:2, 3 ↩
9. Job 31:6 Lit just ↩
10. Job 31:6 Job 23:10; 27:5, 6 ↩
11. Job 31:7 Job 23:11 ↩
12. Job 31:7 Lit walked after ↩
13. Job 31:7 Job 9:30 ↩
14. Job 31:8 Lev 26:16; Job 20:18; Mic 6:15 ↩
15. Job 31:8 Or offspring ↩
16. Job 31:8 Job 31:12 ↩
17. Job 31:9 Job 24:15; 31:1 ↩
18. Job 31:10 Is 47:2 ↩
19. Job 31:10 Deut 28:30; Jer 8:10 ↩
20. Job 31:10 I.e., have sexual relations with her ↩
21. Job 31:11 Lev 20:10; Deut 22:24 ↩
22. Job 31:11 Job 31:28 ↩
23. Job 31:12 Job 15:30 ↩
24. Job 31:12 I.e., the place of destruction ↩
25. Job 31:12 Job 26:6 ↩
26. Job 31:12 Job 20:28; 31:8 ↩
27. Job 31:12 Or yield ↩
28. Job 31:13 Deut 24:14, 15 ↩
29. Job 31:15 Job 10:3 ↩
30. Job 31:16 Job 5:16; 20:19 ↩
31. Job 31:16 Ex 22:22-24; Job 22:9 ↩
32. Job 31:17 Job 22:7 ↩
33. Job 31:17 Job 29:12 ↩
34. Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it ↩
35. Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb ↩
36. Job 31:19 Job 22:6; 29:13 ↩
37. Job 31:19 Job 24:4 ↩
38. Job 31:20 Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing ↩
39. Job 31:21 Job 29:12; 31:17 ↩
40. Job 31:21 Lit my help ↩
41. Job 31:21 Job 29:7 ↩
42. Job 31:22 Lit neck-joint ↩
43. Job 31:22 Job 38:15 ↩
44. Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm ↩
45. Job 31:23 Job 31:3 ↩
46. Job 31:23 Job 13:11 ↩
47. Job 31:24 Job 22:24; Mark 10:23-25 ↩
48. Job 31:25 Job 1:3, 10; Ps 62:10 ↩
49. Job 31:26 Deut 4:19; 17:3; Ezek 8:16 ↩
50. Job 31:26 Lit light ↩
51. Job 31:27 Lit kissed my mouth ↩
52. Job 31:28 Deut 17:2-7; Job 31:11 ↩
53. Job 31:28 Lit judges ↩
54. Job 31:28 Josh 24:27; Is 59:13 ↩
55. Job 31:29 Prov 17:5; 24:17; Obad 12 ↩
56. Job 31:30 Lit And ↩
57. Job 31:30 Ps 7:4 ↩
58. Job 31:30 Lit given my palate ↩
59. Job 31:30 Job 5:3 ↩
60. Job 31:31 Lit give ↩
61. Job 31:31 Job 22:7 ↩
62. Job 31:32 MT way ↩
63. Job 31:33 Gen 3:10; Prov 28:13 ↩
64. Job 31:34 Ex 23:2 ↩
65. Job 31:35 Lit mark ↩
66. Job 31:35 Job 19:7; 30:20, 24, 28; 35:14 ↩
67. Job 31:35 Job 27:7 ↩
68. Job 31:37 Job 31:4 ↩
69. Job 31:37 Job 1:3; 29:25 ↩
70. Job 31:38 Job 24:2 ↩
71. Job 31:39 Job 24:6, 10-12; James 5:4 ↩
72. Job 31:39 Lit strength ↩
73. Job 31:39 1 Kin 21:19 ↩
74. Job 31:39 Lit the soul of its owners to expire ↩
75. Job 31:40 Job 32:13; Is 5:6 ↩
76. Job 31:40 Lit come forth ↩

Job Asserts His Integrity

Notes

Commentaries on Job 31