Job 31-33

English Standard Version

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.”

“I am young in years,
    and you are ^(BB)aged;
therefore I was timid and afraid
    to declare my opinion to you.
⁷ I said, ‘Let days speak,
    and many years teach wisdom.’
⁸ But it is ^(BC)the spirit in man,
    ^(BD)the breath of the Almighty, that makes him ^(BE)understand.
^9 (BF)It is not the old^[g] who are wise,
    nor the aged who understand what is right.
¹⁰ Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
    let me also declare my opinion.’

¹¹ “Behold, I waited for your words,
    I listened for your wise sayings,
    while you searched out what to say.
¹² I gave you my attention,
    and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job
    or who answered his words.
¹³ Beware ^(BG)lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom;
    God may vanquish him, not a man.’
¹⁴ He has not directed his words against me,
    and I will not answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵ “They are dismayed; they answer no more;
    they have not a word to say.
¹⁶ And shall I wait, because they do not speak,
    because they stand there, and answer no more?
¹⁷ I also will answer with my share;
    I also will declare my opinion.
¹⁸ For I am full of words;
    the spirit within me constrains me.
¹⁹ Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent;
    like new ^(BH)wineskins ready to burst.
^20 (BI)I must speak, that I may find ^(BJ)relief;
    I must open my lips and answer.
²¹ I will not ^(BK)show partiality to any man
    or use flattery toward any person.
²² For I do not know how to flatter,
    else my Maker would soon take me away.

⁸ “Surely you have spoken in my ears,
    and I have heard the sound of your words.
⁹ You say, ‘I am ^(BT)pure, without ^(BU)transgression;
    I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰ Behold, he finds occasions against me,
    he ^(BV)counts me as his enemy,
¹¹ he ^(BW)puts my feet in the stocks
    and ^(BX)watches all my paths.’

¹² “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
    for God is greater than man.
¹³ Why do you ^(BY)contend against him,
    saying, ‘He ^(BZ)will answer none of man's^[h] words’?^[i]
14 For God ^(CA)speaks in one way,
    ^(CB)and in two, though man ^(CC)does not perceive it.
¹⁵ In ^(CD)a dream, in ^(CE)a vision of ^(CF)the night,
    when ^(CG)deep sleep falls on men,
    while they slumber on their beds,
¹⁶ then he ^(CH)opens the ears of men
    and terrifies^[j] them with warnings,
¹⁷ that he may turn man aside from his ^(CI)deed
    and conceal pride from a man;
¹⁸ he keeps back his soul from the pit,
    his life from ^(CJ)perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
    and with continual strife in his ^(CK)bones,
²⁰ so that his ^(CL)life loathes bread,
    and his appetite ^(CM)the choicest food.
²¹ His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
    and his bones that were not seen ^(CN)stick out.
²² His soul draws near ^(CO)the pit,
    and his life to ^(CP)those who bring death.
²³ If there be for him ^(CQ)an angel,
    ^(CR)a mediator, ^(CS)one of the thousand,
    to declare to man what is ^(CT)right for him,
²⁴ and he is merciful to him, and says,
    ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
    I have found ^(CU)a ransom;
²⁵ let his flesh ^(CV)become fresh with youth;
    let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
²⁶ then man^{[k] (CW)}prays to God, and he accepts him;
    he ^(CX)sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he ^(CY)restores to man his righteousness.
²⁷     He sings before men and says:
‘I ^(CZ)sinned and perverted what was right,
    and it was not repaid to me.
²⁸ He has redeemed my ^(DA)soul from going down ^(DB)into the pit,
    and my life shall ^(DC)look upon the light.’

²⁹ “Behold, God does all these things,
    twice, ^(DD)three times, with a man,
³⁰ to bring back his soul from the pit,
    that he may be lighted with ^(DE)the light of life.
³¹ Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
    be silent, and I will speak.
³² If you have any words, ^(DF)answer me;
    ^(DG)speak, for I desire to justify you.
³³ If not, ^(DH)listen to me;
    be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”