Job 31 – NIV & NIRV

New International Version

Job 31:1-40

1“I made a covenant with my eyes

not to look lustfully at a young woman.

2For what is our lot from God above,

our heritage from the Almighty on high?

3Is it not ruin for the wicked,

disaster for those who do wrong?

4Does he not see my ways

and count my every step?

5“If I have walked with falsehood

or my foot has hurried after deceit—

6let God weigh me in honest scales

and he will know that I am blameless—

7if my steps have turned from the path,

if my heart has been led by my eyes,

or if my hands have been defiled,

8then may others eat what I have sown,

and may my crops be uprooted.

9“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,

or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

10then may my wife grind another man’s grain,

and may other men sleep with her.

11For that would have been wicked,

a sin to be judged.

12It is a fire that burns to Destruction31:12 Hebrew Abaddon;

it would have uprooted my harvest.

13“If I have denied justice to any of my servants,

whether male or female,

when they had a grievance against me,

14what will I do when God confronts me?

What will I answer when called to account?

15Did not he who made me in the womb make them?

Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

16“If I have denied the desires of the poor

or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

17if I have kept my bread to myself,

not sharing it with the fatherless—

18but from my youth I reared them as a father would,

and from my birth I guided the widow—

19if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,

or the needy without garments,

20and their hearts did not bless me

for warming them with the fleece from my sheep,

21if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,

knowing that I had influence in court,

22then let my arm fall from the shoulder,

let it be broken off at the joint.

23For I dreaded destruction from God,

and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

24“If I have put my trust in gold

or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

25if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,

the fortune my hands had gained,

26if I have regarded the sun in its radiance

or the moon moving in splendor,

27so that my heart was secretly enticed

and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

28then these also would be sins to be judged,

for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

29“If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune

or gloated over the trouble that came to him—

30I have not allowed my mouth to sin

by invoking a curse against their life—

31if those of my household have never said,

‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’—

32but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,

for my door was always open to the traveler—

33if I have concealed my sin as people do,31:33 Or as Adam did

by hiding my guilt in my heart

34because I so feared the crowd

and so dreaded the contempt of the clans

that I kept silent and would not go outside—

35(“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!

I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;

let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

36Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,

I would put it on like a crown.

37I would give him an account of my every step;

I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—

38“if my land cries out against me

and all its furrows are wet with tears,

39if I have devoured its yield without payment

or broken the spirit of its tenants,

40then let briers come up instead of wheat

and stinkweed instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

New International Reader’s Version

Job 31:1-40

1“I made an agreement with my eyes.

I promised not to look at a young woman with impure thoughts.

2What do we receive from God above?

What do we get from the Mighty One in heaven?

3Sinful people are destroyed.

Trouble comes to those who do what is wrong.

4Doesn’t God see how I live?

Doesn’t he count every step I take?

5“I haven’t told any lies.

My feet haven’t hurried to cheat others.

6So let God weigh me in honest scales.

Then he’ll know I haven’t done anything wrong.

7Suppose my steps have turned away from the right path.

Suppose my heart has wanted what my eyes have seen.

Or suppose my hands have become ‘unclean.’

8Then may others eat what I’ve planted.

May my crops be pulled up by the roots.

9“Suppose my heart has been tempted by a woman.

Or suppose I’ve prowled around my neighbor’s home.

10Then may my wife grind another man’s grain.

May other men sleep with her.

11Wanting another woman would have been an evil thing.

It would have been a sin that should be judged.

12It’s like a fire that burns down to the grave.

It would have caused my crops to be pulled up by the roots.

13“Suppose I haven’t treated any of my male and female servants fairly

when they’ve brought charges against me.

14Then what will I do when God opposes me?

What answer will I give him

when he asks me to explain myself?

15Didn’t he who made me make my servants also?

Didn’t the same God form us inside our mothers?

16“I haven’t said no to what poor people have wanted.

I haven’t let widows lose their hope.

17I haven’t kept my bread to myself.

I’ve shared it with children whose fathers had died.

18From the time I was young, I’ve helped those widows.

I’ve raised those children as a father would.

19Suppose I’ve seen people dying

because they didn’t have enough clothes.

I’ve seen needy people

who didn’t have enough to keep warm.

20And they didn’t give me their blessing

when I warmed them with wool from my sheep.

21Suppose I’ve raised my hand

against children whose fathers have died.

And I did it because I knew

I had power in the courts.

22Then let my arm fall from my shoulder.

Let it be broken off at the joint.

23I was afraid God would destroy me.

His glory terrifies me.

So I’d never do things like that.

24“Suppose I’ve put my trust in gold.

I’ve said to pure gold, ‘You make me feel secure.’

25And I’m happy because I’m so wealthy.

I’m glad because my hands have earned so much.

26Suppose I’ve worshiped the sun in all its glory.

I’ve bowed down to the moon in all its beauty.

27My heart has been secretly tempted.

My hand has thrown kisses to the sun and moon.

28Then these things would have been sins that should be judged.

And I wouldn’t have been faithful to God in heaven.

29“I wasn’t happy when hard times came to my enemies.

I didn’t enjoy seeing the trouble they had.

30I didn’t allow my mouth to sin

by asking for bad things to happen to them.

31The workers in my house always said,

‘Job always gives plenty of food to everyone.’

32No stranger ever had to spend the night in the street.

My door was always open to travelers.

33I didn’t hide my sin as other people do.

I didn’t hide my guilt in my heart.

34I was never afraid of the crowd.

I never worried that my relatives might hate me.

I didn’t have to keep quiet or stay inside.

35“I wish someone would listen to me!

I’m signing my name to everything I’ve said.

I hope the Mighty One will give me his answer.

I hope the one who brings charges against me will write them down.

36I’ll wear them on my shoulder.

I’ll put them on my head like a crown.

37I’ll give that person a report of every step I take.

I’ll present it to him like I would to a ruler.

38“Suppose my land cries out against me.

And all its soil is wet with tears.

39Suppose I’ve used up its crops without paying for them.

Or I’ve broken the spirit of its renters.

40Then let thorns grow instead of wheat.

Let stinkweed come up instead of barley.”

The words of Job end here.