Job 31
Contemporary English Version
Job Continues
I Promised Myself
31 I promised myself
never to stare with desire
at a young woman.
2 God All-Powerful punishes
men who do that.
3 In fact, God sends disaster
on all who sin,
4 and he keeps a close watch
on everything I do.
5 I am not dishonest or deceitful,
6 and I beg God to prove
my innocence.
7 If I have disobeyed him
or even wanted to,
8 then others can eat my harvest
and uproot my crops.
9 If I have desired someone's wife
and chased after her,
10 then let some stranger
steal my wife from me.
11 If I took someone's wife,
it would be a horrible crime,
12 sending me to destruction
and my crops to the flames.[a]
13 When my servants
complained against me,
I was fair to them.
14 Otherwise, what answer
would I give to God
when he judges me?
15 After all, God is the one
who gave life to each of us
before we were born.
I Have Never Cheated Anyone
16 (A) I have never cheated widows
or others in need,
17 and I have always shared
my food with orphans.
18 Since the time I was young,
I have cared for orphans
and helped widows.[b]
19 I provided clothes for the poor,
20 and I was praised
for supplying woolen garments
to keep them warm.
21 If I have ever raised my arm
to threaten an orphan
when the power was mine,
22 I hope that arm will fall
from its socket.
23 I could not have been abusive;
I was terrified at the thought
that God might punish me.
24 (B) I have never trusted
the power of wealth,
25 or taken pride in owning
many possessions.
* 26 I have never openly or secretly
27 worshiped the sun or moon.
28 Such horrible sins
would have deserved
punishment from God.
29 I have never laughed
when my enemies
were struck by disaster.
30 Neither have I sinned
by asking God
to send down on them
the curse of death.
31 No one ever went hungry[c]
at my house,
32 and travelers
were always welcome.
33 Many have attempted to hide
their sins from others—
but I refused.
34 And the fear of public disgrace
never forced me to keep silent
about what I had done.
Why Doesn't God Listen?
35 Why doesn't God All-Powerful
listen and answer?
If God has something against me,
let him speak up
or put it in writing!
36 Then I would wear his charges
on my clothes and forehead.
37 And with my head held high,
I would tell him everything
I have ever done.
38 I have never mistreated
the land I farmed
and made it mourn.[d]
39 Nor have I cheated
my workers
and caused them pain.[e]
40 If I had, I would pray
for weeds instead of wheat
to grow in my fields.
After saying these things,
Job was silent.
Footnotes
- 31.12 flames: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 12.
- 31.18 widows: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.
- 31.31 ever went hungry: Or “was ever sexually abused” (see Genesis 19.1-11; Judges 17.22-30). In ancient Israel, the lives of one's guests were sacred and had to be protected at any cost.
- 31.38 mourn: In biblical times there were strict regulations for proper use of the land, and land that was abused was said to “mourn” and become no longer productive.
- 31.39 pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 39.
Job 31
English Standard Version
Job's Final Appeal
31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 What would be (B)my portion from God above
and (C)my heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 (D)Does not he see my ways
and (E)number all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
and my foot has hastened to deceit;
6 (Let me be (F)weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)
7 if my step has turned aside from the way
and (G)my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any (H)spot has stuck to my hands,
8 then let me (I)sow, and another eat,
and let what grows for me[a] be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
and I have (J)lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
10 then let my wife (K)grind for another,
and let others (L)bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquity (M)to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire (N)that consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.
13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
when they brought a complaint against me,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
When he (O)makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15 Did (P)not he who made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have (Q)withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have (R)caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless[b] grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother's womb I guided the widow[c]),
19 if I have seen anyone (S)perish for (T)lack of clothing,
or the needy without (U)covering,
20 if his body has not (V)blessed me,[d]
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against (W)the fatherless,
because I saw my help in (X)the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was (Y)in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his (Z)majesty.
24 (AA)“If I have made gold my (AB)trust
or called (AC)fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have (AD)rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because (AE)my hand had found much,
26 (AF)if I have looked at the sun[e] when it shone,
or (AG)the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be (AH)an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.
29 “If I have (AI)rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
or exulted when evil overtook him
30 ((AJ)I have not let my mouth sin
by asking for his life with a curse),
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been filled with his (AK)meat?’
32 ((AL)the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33 if I (AM)have concealed my transgressions (AN)as others do[f]
by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 because I stood in great fear of (AO)the multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty (AP)answer me!)
Oh, that I had (AQ)the indictment written by my adversary!
36 Surely I would carry it on my (AR)shoulder;
I would (AS)bind it on me as (AT)a crown;
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.
38 “If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,
39 (AU)if I have eaten its yield without payment
and made its owners (AV)breathe their last,
40 let (AW)thorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Job 31
Ang Biblia (1978)
Sa kahirapan ni Job ay tumututol siya dahil sa kalinisan ng kaniyang buhay.
31 Ako'y nakipagtipan sa aking mga (A)mata;
Paano nga akong titingin sa isang dalaga?
2 Sapagka't ano (B)ang bahagi sa ganang akin sa Dios mula sa itaas,
At ang mana sa Makapangyarihan sa lahat mula sa kaitaasan?
3 Hindi ba kasakunaan sa liko,
At kasawiang palad sa mga manggagawa ng kasamaan?
4 (C)Hindi ba niya nakikita ang aking mga lakad,
At binibilang ang lahat ng aking mga hakbang?
5 Kung ako'y lumakad na walang kabuluhan,
At ang aking paa ay nagmadali sa pagdaraya;
6 (Timbangin ako sa matuwid na timbangan,
Upang mabatid ng Dios ang aking pagtatapat;)
7 Kung ang aking hakbang ay lumiko sa daan,
At (D)ang aking puso ay lumakad ayon sa aking mga mata,
At kung ang anomang dungis ay kumapit sa aking mga kamay:
8 Kung gayo'y (E)papaghasikin mo ako, at bayaang kanin ng iba;
Oo, bunutin ang bunga ng aking bukid.
9 Kung ang aking puso ay napadaya sa babae,
At ako'y bumakay sa pintuan ng aking kapuwa:
10 Kung magkagayo'y iba ang ipaggiling ng aking asawa,
At iba ang yumuko (F)sa kaniya.
11 Sapagka't iya'y isang mabigat na (G)sala;
Oo, isang kasamaan na parurusahan ng mga hukom:
12 Sapagka't isang apoy na namumugnaw hanggang sa Pagkapahamak,
At bubunutin ang lahat ng aking bunga.
13 Kung hinamak ko ang katuwiran ng aking aliping lalake o aliping babae,
Nang sila'y makipagtalo sa akin:
14 Ano nga ang aking gagawin pagka bumabangon (H)ang Dios?
At pagka kaniyang dinadalaw, (I)anong isasagot ko sa kaniya?
15 (J)Hindi ba siyang lumalang sa akin sa bahay-bata ang lumalang sa kaniya;
At hindi ba iisa ang humugis sa atin sa bahay-bata?
16 Kung pinagkaitan ko ang dukha sa kanilang nasa,
O (K)pinangalumata ko ang mga mata ng babaing bao:
17 O kumain akong magisa ng aking subo,
At ang ulila ay hindi kumain niyaon;
18 (Hindi, mula sa aking kabataan ay lumaki siyang kasama ko, na gaya ng may isang ama,
At aking pinatnubayan siya mula sa bahay-bata ng aking ina;)
19 Kung ako'y nakakita ng sinomang nangangailangan ng kasuutan,
O ng mapagkailangan ng walang kumot;
20 Kung hindi ako (L)pinagpala ng kaniyang mga balakang,
At kung siya'y hindi nainitan ng balahibo ng aking mga tupa:
21 Kung binuhat ko ang aking kamay (M)laban sa ulila,
Sapagka't nakita ko ang tulong sa akin sa pintuang-bayan:
22 Kung nagkagayo'y malaglag ang aking balikat sa abot-agawin,
At ang aking kamay ay mabali sa buto.
23 Sapagka't ang kasakunaang mula sa Dios ay (N)kakilabutan sa akin,
At dahil sa kaniyang karilagan ay wala akong magawa.
24 (O)Kung aking pinapaging ginto ang aking pagasa,
At sinabi ko sa dalisay na ginto, Ikaw ay aking tiwala;
25 (P)Kung ako'y nagalak sapagka't ang aking kayamanan ay malaki,
At sapagka't ang aking kamay ay nagtamo ng marami;
26 (Q)Kung ako'y tumingin sa araw pagka sumisikat,
O sa buwan na lumalakad sa kakinangan;
27 At ang aking puso ay napadayang lihim,
At hinagkan ng aking bibig ang aking kamay:
28 Ito may isang (R)kasamaang marapat parusahan ng mga hukom:
Sapagka't itinakuwil ko ang Dios na nasa itaas.
29 (S)Kung ako'y nagalak sa kasakunaan niyaong nagtatanim ng loob sa akin,
O nagmataas ako ng datnan siya ng kasamaan;
30 (T)(Oo, hindi ko tiniis ang aking bibig sa kasalanan
Sa paghingi ng kaniyang buhay na may sumpa;)
31 Kung ang mga tao sa aking tolda ay hindi nagsabi,
Sinong makakasumpong ng isa na hindi nabusog sa kaniyang pagkain?
32 (U)Ang taga ibang lupa ay hindi tumigil sa lansangan;
Kundi aking ibinukas ang aking mga pinto sa manglalakbay,
33 Kung aking tinakpan na gaya ni Adan ang aking mga pagsalangsang,
(V)Sa pagkukubli ng aking kasamaan sa aking sinapupunan;
34 Sapagka't aking kinatakutan ang lubhang karamihan,
At pinangilabot ako ng paghamak ng mga angkan.
Na anopa't ako'y tumahimik, at hindi lumabas sa pintuan—
35 (W)O mano nawang may duminig sa akin!
(Narito ang aking tala, sagutin (X)ako ng Makapangyarihan sa lahat;)
At mano nawang magkaroon ako ng sumbong na isinulat ng aking kaaway!
36 Tunay na aking papasanin ito sa aking balikat;
Aking itatali sa akin na gaya ng isang putong.
37 Aking ipahahayag sa kaniya ang bilang ng aking mga hakbang,
Gaya ng isang pangulo na lalapitan ko siya.
38 Kung ang aking lupa ay humiyaw laban sa akin,
At ang mga bungkal niyaon ay umiyak na magkakasama;
39 Kung kumain ako ng bunga niyaon na walang bayad,
O ipinahamak ko ang buhay ng mga may-ari niyaon:
40 Tubuan ng dawag (Y)sa halip ng trigo,
At ng mga masamang damo sa halip ng cebada.
Ang mga salita ni Job ay natapos.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
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Ang Biblia Copyright © Philippine Bible Society 1905, 1915, 1933, 1978
