Job 31-33

New International Version

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes^(A)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.^(B)
2 For what is our lot^(C) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?^(D)
3 Is it not ruin^(E) for the wicked,
    disaster^(F) for those who do wrong?^(G)
4 Does he not see my ways^(H)
    and count my every step?^(I)

⁵ “If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit^(J)—
⁶ let God weigh me^(K) in honest scales^(L)
    and he will know that I am blameless^(M)—
⁷ if my steps have turned from the path,^(N)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands^(O) have been defiled,^(P)
8 then may others eat what I have sown,^(Q)
    and may my crops be uprooted.^(R)

⁹ “If my heart has been enticed^(S) by a woman,^(T)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
¹⁰ then may my wife grind^(U) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.^(V)
11 For that would have been wicked,^(W)
    a sin to be judged.^(X)
12 It is a fire^(Y) that burns to Destruction^[a];^(Z)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.^(AA)

¹³ “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,^(AB)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,^(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?^(AD)
    What will I answer when called to account?^(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?^(AF)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?^(AG)

¹⁶ “If I have denied the desires of the poor^(AH)
    or let the eyes of the widow^(AI) grow weary,^(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless^(AK)—
¹⁸ but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow^(AL)—
¹⁹ if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,^(AM)
    or the needy^(AN) without garments,
²⁰ and their hearts did not bless me^(AO)
    for warming them with the fleece^(AP) from my sheep,
²¹ if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,^(AQ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,^(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.^(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,^(AT)
    and for fear of his splendor^(AU) I could not do such things.^(AV)

²⁴ “If I have put my trust in gold^(AW)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’^(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,^(AY)
    the fortune my hands had gained,^(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun^(BA) in its radiance
    or the moon^(BB) moving in splendor,
²⁷ so that my heart was secretly enticed^(BC)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,^(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,^(BE)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.^(BF)

²⁹ “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune^(BG)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him^(BH)—
³⁰ I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life^(BI)—
³¹ if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’^(BJ)—
³² but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler^(BK)—
³³ if I have concealed^(BL) my sin as people do,^[b]
    by hiding^(BM) my guilt in my heart
³⁴ because I so feared the crowd^(BN)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent^(BO) and would not go outside—

³⁵ (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!^(BP)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser^(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
³⁶ Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,^(BR)
    I would put it on like a crown.^(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;^(BT)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.^(BU))—

³⁸ “if my land cries out against me^(BV)
    and all its furrows are wet^(BW) with tears,
³⁹ if I have devoured its yield without payment^(BX)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,^(BY)
40 then let briers^(BZ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed^(CA) instead of barley.”

“I am young in years,
    and you are old;^(CL)
that is why I was fearful,
    not daring to tell you what I know.
⁷ I thought, ‘Age should speak;
    advanced years should teach wisdom.’^(CM)
8 But it is the spirit^[d](CN) in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty,^(CO) that gives them understanding.^(CP)
9 It is not only the old^[e] who are wise,^(CQ)
    not only the aged^(CR) who understand what is right.^(CS)

¹⁰ “Therefore I say: Listen to me;^(CT)
    I too will tell you what I know.^(CU)
11 I waited while you spoke,
    I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
¹²     I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
    none of you has answered his arguments.^(CV)
13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;^(CW)
    let God, not a man, refute^(CX) him.’
¹⁴ But Job has not marshaled his words against me,^(CY)
    and I will not answer him with your arguments.

¹⁵ “They are dismayed and have no more to say;
    words have failed them.^(CZ)
16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,
    now that they stand there with no reply?
¹⁷ I too will have my say;
    I too will tell what I know.^(DA)
18 For I am full of words,
    and the spirit^(DB) within me compels me;^(DC)
19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,
    like new wineskins ready to burst.^(DD)
20 I must speak and find relief;
    I must open my lips and reply.^(DE)
21 I will show no partiality,^(DF)
    nor will I flatter anyone;^(DG)
22 for if I were skilled in flattery,
    my Maker^(DH) would soon take me away.^(DI)

33 “But now, Job, listen^(DJ) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.^(DK)
2 I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
³ My words come from an upright heart;^(DL)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.^(DM)
4 The Spirit^(DN) of God has made me;^(DO)
    the breath of the Almighty^(DP) gives me life.^(DQ)
5 Answer me^(DR) then, if you can;
    stand up^(DS) and argue your case before me.^(DT)
6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;^(DU)
    I too am a piece of clay.^(DV)
7 No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.^(DW)

⁸ “But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
⁹ ‘I am pure,^(DX) I have done no wrong;^(DY)
    I am clean and free from sin.^(DZ)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.^(EA)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;^(EB)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’^(EC)

¹² “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.^(ED)
13 Why do you complain to him^(EE)
    that he responds to no one’s words^[f]?^(EF)
14 For God does speak^(EG)—now one way, now another^(EH)—
    though no one perceives it.^(EI)
15 In a dream,^(EJ) in a vision^(EK) of the night,^(EL)
    when deep sleep^(EM) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
¹⁶ he may speak^(EN) in their ears
    and terrify them^(EO) with warnings,^(EP)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,^(EQ)
18 to preserve them from the pit,^(ER)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.^[g](ES)

¹⁹ “Or someone may be chastened^(ET) on a bed of pain^(EU)
    with constant distress in their bones,^(EV)
20 so that their body finds food^(EW) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.^(EX)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,^(EY) once hidden, now stick out.^(EZ)
22 They draw near to the pit,^(FA)
    and their life to the messengers of death.^[h](FB)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,^(FC) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,^(FD)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;^(FE)
    I have found a ransom for them^(FF)—
²⁵ let their flesh be renewed^(FG) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’^(FH)—
²⁶ then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,^(FI)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;^(FJ)
    he will restore them to full well-being.^(FK)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,^(FL) I have perverted what is right,^(FM)
    but I did not get what I deserved.^(FN)
28 God has delivered^(FO) me from going down to the pit,^(FP)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’^(FQ)

²⁹ “God does all these things to a person^(FR)—
    twice, even three times^(FS)—
³⁰ to turn them back^(FT) from the pit,^(FU)
    that the light of life^(FV) may shine on them.^(FW)

³¹ “Pay attention, Job, and listen^(FX) to me;^(FY)
    be silent,^(FZ) and I will speak.
³² If you have anything to say, answer me;^(GA)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.^(GB)
33 But if not, then listen to me;^(GC)
    be silent,^(GD) and I will teach you wisdom.^(GE)”