New American Standard Bible 2020

Job 31:5-23

5“If I have 1walked with deception, And my foot has hurried after deceit,6Let Him 2weigh me with 3accurate scales, And let God know 4my integrity.7If my step has 5turned from the way, Or my heart 6followed my eyes, Or if any 7spot has stuck to my hands,8Let me 8sow and another eat, And let my 9 10crops be uprooted.

9“If my heart has been 11enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,10May my wife 12grind grain for another, And let 13others 14kneel down over her.11For that would be a 15lustful crime; Moreover, it would be 16wrongdoing punishable by judges.12For it would be 17fire that consumes to 18 19Abaddon, And would 20uproot all my 21increase.

13“If I have 22rejected 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 23He who made me in the womb not make him, And the same one create us in the womb?

16“If I have kept 24the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of 25the widow to fail,17Or have 26eaten my morsel alone, And 27the orphan has not 28shared it18(But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from 29my infancy I guided her),19If I have seen anyone perish 30for lack of clothing, Or that 31the needy had no covering,20If his waist has not 32thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,21If I have lifted up my hand against 33the orphan, Because I saw 34I had support 35in the gate,22May my shoulder fall from its 36socket, And my 37arm be broken off 38at the elbow.23For 39disaster from God is a terror to me, And because of 40His majesty I can do nothing.

Read all of Job 31

Notes

1. Job 31:5 Job 15:31; Mic 2:11 ↩
2. Job 31:6 Job 6:2, 3 ↩
3. Job 31:6 Lit just ↩
4. Job 31:6 Job 23:10; 27:5, 6 ↩
5. Job 31:7 Job 23:11 ↩
6. Job 31:7 Lit walked after ↩
7. Job 31:7 Job 9:30 ↩
8. Job 31:8 Lev 26:16; Job 20:18; Mic 6:15 ↩
9. Job 31:8 Or offspring ↩
10. Job 31:8 Job 31:12 ↩
11. Job 31:9 Job 24:15; 31:1 ↩
12. Job 31:10 Is 47:2 ↩
13. Job 31:10 Deut 28:30; Jer 8:10 ↩
14. Job 31:10 I.e., have sexual relations with her ↩
15. Job 31:11 Lev 20:10; Deut 22:24 ↩
16. Job 31:11 Job 31:28 ↩
17. Job 31:12 Job 15:30 ↩
18. Job 31:12 I.e., the place of destruction ↩
19. Job 31:12 Job 26:6 ↩
20. Job 31:12 Job 20:28; 31:8 ↩
21. Job 31:12 Or yield ↩
22. Job 31:13 Deut 24:14, 15 ↩
23. Job 31:15 Job 10:3 ↩
24. Job 31:16 Job 5:16; 20:19 ↩
25. Job 31:16 Ex 22:22-24; Job 22:9 ↩
26. Job 31:17 Job 22:7 ↩
27. Job 31:17 Job 29:12 ↩
28. Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it ↩
29. Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb ↩
30. Job 31:19 Job 22:6; 29:13 ↩
31. Job 31:19 Job 24:4 ↩
32. Job 31:20 Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing ↩
33. Job 31:21 Job 29:12; 31:17 ↩
34. Job 31:21 Lit my help ↩
35. Job 31:21 Job 29:7 ↩
36. Job 31:22 Lit neck-joint ↩
37. Job 31:22 Job 38:15 ↩
38. Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm ↩
39. Job 31:23 Job 31:3 ↩
40. Job 31:23 Job 13:11 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Job 31