| Chapter 31 |
1 | I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin? |
2 | For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven? |
3 | Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers? |
4 | Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered? |
5 | If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit; |
6 | (Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:) |
7 | If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands; |
8 | Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted. |
9 | If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door; |
10 | Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body. |
11 | For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges: |
12 | It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce. |
13 | If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me; |
14 | What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions? |
15 | Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies? |
16 | If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose; |
17 | If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father; |
18 | (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;) |
19 | If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him; |
20 | If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm; |
21 | If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges; |
22 | May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base. |
23 | For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things. |
24 | If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you; |
25 | If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store; |
26 | If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way, |
27 | A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth; |
28 | That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high. |
29 | If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him; |
30 | (For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;) |
31 | If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat? |
32 | The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey; |
33 | If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast, |
34 | For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door; |
35 | If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing! |
36 | Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown; |
37 | I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended. |
38 | If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow; |
39 | If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners; |
40 | Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants. |