31:1 I made a covenant with¹ my eyes;
how then could I pay attention to a virgin?²
31:2 What then would be man’s lot from God above,
the heritage from the Almighty³ on high?
31:3 Is it not misfortune for the unjust,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
31:4 Does he not see my ways,
and count all my steps?
31:5 If⁴ I have walked in falsehood,
and if⁵ my foot has hastened⁶ to deceit—
31:6 Let him⁷ weigh me in honest⁸ scales,
then God will discover⁹ my integrity—
31:7 If my step has turned from the way,
if my heart has gone after my eyes,¹⁰
or if anything¹¹ has defiled my hands,
31:8 then let me sow¹² and let another eat,
and let my crops¹³ be uprooted.
31:9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
and have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,¹⁴
31:10 then let my wife turn the millstone¹⁵ for another man,
and may other men sleep with her.¹⁶
31:11 For that would have been a shameful act,¹⁷
an iniquity to be judged.¹⁸
31:12 For it is a fire that devours even unto Destruction,
and all my harvest it would uproot.¹⁹
31:13 If I have disregarded the right of my servant
or my maidservants,
when they disputed²⁰ with me,
31:14 then what will I do when God arises,²¹
and when he intervenes,²²
how will I respond to him?
31:15 Did not the one who made me in the womb make him?
Did not the same one form us in the womb?
31:16 If I have refused the desires of the poor,
or let the eyes of the widow cause to fail,
31:17 If I ate my morsel of bread myself,
and the orphan did not eat any of it—
31:18 But from my youth²³ I brought one up²⁴ like a father,
and from my mother’s womb²⁵
I guided the widow.²⁶
31:19 If I have seen any perishing for lack of clothing
or a poor man without a coat,
31:20 and if his heart did not bless me²⁷
as he warmed himself
with the fleece of my sheep,²⁸
31:21 if I have shaken my hand²⁹ against the orphan,
when I saw my support in the gate,
31:22 then³⁰ let my arm fall from the shoulder,³¹
and let my arm be broken off at the socket.³²
31:23 For the calamity from God was a terror to me,³³
and by reason of his majesty³⁴ I was powerless.
31:24 If I have put my confidence in gold
or said to pure gold,
“You are my security!”
31:25 if I have rejoiced because of the abundance of my wealth,
or because of the great wealth my hand had gained;
31:26 if I looked at the sun,³⁵ when it was shining,
and the moon advancing as a precious thing,
31:27 so that my heart was secretly enticed,
and my hand sent them the kiss of my mouth,³⁶
31:28 then this³⁷ also would be iniquity to be judged,³⁸
for I would have been false³⁹ to God above.
31:29 If⁴⁰ I have rejoiced over the misfortune
of my enemy⁴¹
or exulted⁴²
because calamity⁴³ found him—
31:30 I⁴⁴ have not even permitted my mouth⁴⁵ to sin
by asking⁴⁶ with a curse for his life—
31:31 if⁴⁷ the men of my tent have never said,⁴⁸
“O that there were⁴⁹ one
who has not been satisfied from Job’s⁵⁰ meat!”—
31:32 But⁵¹ no stranger had to spend the night outside
for I opened my doors to the wayfarer⁵²—
31:33 if⁵³ I have covered my transgressions as men do,⁵⁴
by hiding⁵⁵iniquity in my heart,⁵⁶
31:34 because I was terrified⁵⁷ of the great multitude,⁵⁸
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I remained silent
and would not go outdoors.⁵⁹

31:35 O that I had⁶⁰ someone to hear me!
Here is my mark—⁶¹
Let the Almighty answer me;
O that I had a scroll
that my accuser had written.⁶²
31:36 Surely⁶³ I would wear it upon my shoulder,
I would bind⁶⁴ it to me like crowns;
31:37 I would give him an account of my steps;
like a prince I would draw near to him.

31:38 If my land cried out against me⁶⁶
and all its furrows wept together;
31:39 if I have eaten its fruit without paying,⁶⁷
or caused the death⁶⁸ of its owners,⁶⁹
31:40 then in the place of wheat let thorns sprout up,
and in the place of barley, weeds!⁷⁰

The words of Job have ended.