Job 31
1599 Geneva Bible
31 1 Job reciteth the innocence of his living and number of his virtues, which declareth what ought to be the life of the faithful.
1 I made a covenant with mine [a]eyes: why then should I think on [b]a maid?
2 For what portion should I have of God from above? and what inheritance of the almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked, and strange punishment to [c]the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he behold my ways, and tell all my steps?
5 If I have walked in vanity, or if my foot hath made haste to deceit?
6 Let God weigh me in the just balance, and he shall know my [d]uprightness.
7 If my step hath turned out of the way, or mine heart hath [e]walked after mine eye, or if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands,
8 Let me sow, and let another [f]eat: yea, let my plants be rooted out.
9 If mine heart hath been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at the door of my neighbor,
10 Let my wife [g]grind unto another man, and let other men bow down upon her.
11 For this is a wickedness, and iniquity to be condemned.
12 Yea, this is a fire that shall devour [h]to destruction, and which shall root out all my increase.
13 If I did contemn the judgment of my servant, and of my maid, when they [i]did contend with me,
14 What then shall I do when [j]God standeth up? and when he shall visit me, what shall I answer?
15 He that hath made me in the womb, hath he not made [k]him? hath not he alone fashioned us in the womb?
16 If I restrained the poor of their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow [l]to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof,
18 (For from my youth hath he grown up with me [m]as with a father, and from my mother’s womb have I been a guide unto her.)
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering,
20 If his loins have not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted [n]up mine hand against the fatherless, when I saw that I might help him in the gate,
22 Let mine [o]arm fall from my shoulder, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For God’s punishment was [p]fearful unto me, and I could not be delivered from his Highness.
24 If I made gold mine hope, or have said to the wedge of gold, Thou art my confidence,
25 If I rejoiced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten much,
26 If I did behold the [q]sun, when it shined, or the moon walking in her brightness,
27 If mine heart did flatter me in secret, or if my mouth did kiss mine [r]hand,
28 (This also had been an iniquity to be condemned: for I had denied the God [s]above.)
29 If I rejoiced at his destruction that hated me, or was moved to joy when evil came upon him,
30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse unto his soul.
31 Did not the men of my [t]Tabernacle say, Who shall give us of his flesh? we cannot be satisfied.
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street, but I opened my doors unto him, that went by the way.
33 If I have hid [u]my sins, as Adam, concealing mine iniquity in my bosom,
34 Though I could have made afraid a great multitude, yet the most contemptible of the families did [v]fear me: so I kept [w]silence, and went not out of the door.
35 Oh that I had some to hear me! behold my [x]sign that the Almighty will witness for me: though mine adversary should write a book against me,
36 Would not I take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a [y]crown unto me?
37 I will tell him the number of my goings, and go unto him as to a [z]prince.
38 If my land [aa]cry against me, or the furrows thereof complain together,
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without silver: or if I have grieved [ab]the souls of the masters thereof,
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle in the stead of barley.
THE [ac]WORDS OF JOB ARE ENDED.
Footnotes
- Job 31:1 I kept my eyes from all wanton looks.
- Job 31:1 Would not God then have punished me?
- Job 31:3 Job declareth that the fear of God was a bridle to stay him from all wickedness.
- Job 31:6 He showeth wherein his uprightness standeth, that is, inasmuch as he was blameless before men, and sinned not against the second Table.
- Job 31:7 That is, hath accomplished the lust of mine eyes.
- Job 31:8 According to the curse of the law, Deut. 28:33.
- Job 31:10 Let her be made a slave.
- Job 31:12 He showeth that albeit man neglect the punishment of adultery, yet the wrath of God will never cease till such be destroyed.
- Job 31:13 When they thought themselves evil entreated by me.
- Job 31:14 If I had oppressed others, how should I have escaped God’s judgment.
- Job 31:15 He was moved to show pity unto servants, because they were God’s creatures as he was.
- Job 31:16 By long waiting for her request.
- Job 31:18 He nourished the fatherless, and maintained the widow’s cause.
- Job 31:21 To oppress him and to do him injury.
- Job 31:22 Let me rot in pieces.
- Job 31:23 I refrained not from sinning for fear of men, but because I feared God.
- Job 31:26 If I was proud of my worldly prosperity and felicity, which is meant by the shining of the sun, and brightness of the moon.
- Job 31:27 If mine own doings delighted me.
- Job 31:28 By putting confidence in anything but in him alone.
- Job 31:31 My servants moved me to be revenged of mine enemy, yet did I never wish him hurt.
- Job 31:33 And not confessed it freely: whereby it is evident that he justified himself before men, and not before God.
- Job 31:34 That is, I reverenced the most weak and contemned, and was afraid to offend them.
- Job 31:34 I suffered them to speak evil of me, and went not out of my house to revenge it.
- Job 31:35 This is a sufficient token of my righteousness, that God is my witness and will justify my cause.
- Job 31:36 Should not this book of his accusations be a praise and commendation to me?
- Job 31:37 I will make him account of all my life, without fear.
- Job 31:38 As though I had withheld their wages that labored in it.
- Job 31:39 Meaning, that he was no briber nor extortioner.
- Job 31:40 That is, the talk which he had with his three friends.
Job 31
Wycliffe Bible
31 I made [a] covenant with mine eyes, that I should not think on a virgin. (I made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not look at a young girl.)
2 For what part should God above have in me, and what heritage should Almighty God of high things have in me? (For I thought, what is the portion from God above, and what is the inheritance from Almighty God on high?)
3 Whether perdition is not to a wicked man, and alienation of God is to men working wickedness? (Is it not perdition for the wicked, and alienation from God for those working wickedness?)
4 Whether he beholdeth not my ways, and numbereth all my goings?
5 If I have gone in vanity, and my foot hath hasted to go in guile, (I have not gone in pride, and my feet have not gone in guile;)
6 God weigh me in a just balance, and know he my simpleness. (let God weigh me in a just balance, and he shall know my innocence.)
7 If my step(s) have bowed from the way; and if mine eye(s) have followed mine heart, consenting to lust, and if a spot have cleaved to mine hands;
8 (then) sow I, and another eat, and my generation be drawn out by the root.
9 And if mine heart was deceived on a woman, and if I have set ambush at the door of my friend; (And if my heart hath been deceived by a woman, or if I have set ambush at the door of my friend;)
10 my wife be then the whore of another man, and other men be bowed down upon her. (then let my wife be the whore of another man, and let other men be bowed down upon her.)
11 For this is unleaveful, and the most wickedness. (For this is unlawful, and the greatest of wickedness.)
12 Fire is devouring till to wasting, and drawing up by the root all generations. (It is a fire devouring unto destruction, and drawing up by the roots all of my descendants.)
13 If I despised to take doom with my servant and with mine handmaid, when they strived against me. (If I despised to do justly with my slave, or with my slave-girl, when they complained against me,)
14 What soothly shall I do, when God shall rise up to deem? and when he shall ask, what shall I answer to him? (then what shall I do, when God shall rise up to judge? and when he shall ask, what shall I answer to him?)
15 Whether he, that wrought also him, made not me in the womb, and one God formed me in the womb? (Did not he, who made me in the womb, make not also them? yea, the one God formed each of us in the womb.)
16 If I denied to poor men that, that they would, and if I made the eyes of a widow to abide; (If I denied to the poor what they needed, or if I made the eyes of a widow to have despair;)
17 (or) if I alone ate my morsel, and a fatherless child ate not thereof;
18 for merciful doing increased with me, (or was granted me,) from my young childhood, and it went out of my mother’s womb with me;
19 if I despised a man passing forth by me, for he had not a cloth (because he had no cloak), and a poor man without (any) covering;
20 if his sides blessed not me, and were not made hot of the fleece of my sheep; (if his body had no reason to bless me, because he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;)
21 if I raised up mine hand upon a fatherless child, yea, when I saw me the higher (one) in the gate; (if I raised my hand against a fatherless child, when I knew that the higher men would overlook it;)
22 my shoulder fall from his joint, and mine arm with his bones be all-broken. (then let my shoulder come out of its joint, and the bones of my arm be all-broken.)
23 For ever[more] I dreaded God, as waves waxing great upon me; and I might not bear his burden. (But I have always feared God, like waves growing great upon me; and so I could never do any of these things.)
24 If I guessed gold (to be) my strength, and I said to pured gold, Thou art my trust (Thou art what I trust in);
25 if I was glad on my many riches, and for mine hand found full many things;
26 if I saw the sun, when it shined, and the moon going clearly (and the moon moving in its glory);
27 and if mine heart was glad in private, and if I kissed mine hand with my mouth;
28 the which is the most wickedness, and denying against the highest God; (all of this is most wicked, and a denial of the God on high;)
29 if I had joy at the falling of him, that hated me, and if I joyed fully, that evil had found him; (and if I had great joy at the falling of him who hated me, and if I had rejoiced, that evil had finally found him;)
30 for I gave not my throat to do sin, that I should assail and curse his soul; (but I did not give my tongue over to sin, and assail his soul with cursing;)
31 if the men of my tabernacle said not, Who giveth, that we be [ful]filled of his fleshes? (even if the men of my household said, O God, that we be filled full with his flesh!)
32 a pilgrim dwelled not withoutforth; my door was (always) open to a way-goer/to a way-faring man;
33 if I as [a] man (ever) hid my sin, and covered (up) my wickedness in my bosom;
34 if I dreaded at [the] full great multitude, and if despising of neighbours made me afeared; and not more, (that) I was still, and went not out of the door; (if I feared all the people, or if the despising of my neighbours made me afraid; and not only that, but if I held my peace, and did not even go out the door;)
35 who giveth then an helper to me, that Almighty God hear my desire? that he that deemeth, write a book, (then who shall be my helper? my only desire is that Almighty God would listen to me. And if my adversary hath written a book against me,)
36 that I bear it on my shoulder, and compass it as a crown to me? (then I would carry it on my shoulder, and wear it like a crown.)
37 By all my degrees I shall pronounce it, and I shall as (an) offering offer it to the prince. (I shall declare all the steps, that my life hath taken, and I shall offer them like I would an offering to the prince.)
38 If my land crieth against me, and his furrows weep with it (and its furrows weep with it);
39 if I ate (the) fruits thereof without money, and I tormented the soul of (the) earth-tillers of it;
40 a briar grow to me for wheat, and a thorn for barley. (then let briars grow for me instead of wheat, and thorns instead of barley. And so Job’s words were ended.)
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
2001 by Terence P. Noble