Job 31 - Good News Translation (GNT)

31 I have made a solemn promise
never to look with lust at a woman.

2 What does Almighty God do to us?
How does he repay human deeds?
3 He sends disaster and ruin
to those who do wrong.
4 God knows everything I do;
he sees every step I take.

5 I swear I have never acted wickedly
and never tried to deceive others.
6 Let God weigh me on honest scales,
and he will see how innocent I am.
7 If I have turned from the right path
or let myself be attracted to evil,
if my hands are stained with sin,
8 then let my crops be destroyed,
or let others eat the food I grow.

9 If I have been attracted to my neighbor's wife,
and waited, hidden, outside her door,
10 then let my wife cook another man's food
and sleep in another man's bed.
11 Such wickedness should be punished by death.
12 It would be like a destructive, hellish fire,
consuming everything I have.

13 When any of my servants complained against me,
I would listen and treat them fairly.
14 If I did not, how could I then face God?
What could I say when God came to judge me?
15 The same God who created me
created my servants also.

16 (A)I have never refused to help the poor;
never have I let widows live in despair
17 or let orphans go hungry while I ate.
18 All my life I have taken care of them.[a]

19 When I found someone in need,
too poor to buy clothes,
20 I would give him clothing made of wool
that had come from my own flock of sheep.
Then he would praise me with all his heart.

21 If I have ever cheated an orphan,
knowing I could win in court,
22 then may my arms be broken;
may they be torn from my shoulders.
23 Because I fear God's punishment,
I could never do such a thing.

24 (B)I have never trusted in riches
25 or taken pride in my wealth.
26 I have never worshiped the sun in its brightness
or the moon in all its beauty.
27 I have not been led astray to honor them
by kissing my hand in reverence to them.
28 Such a sin should be punished by death;
it denies Almighty God.

29 I have never been glad when my enemies suffered,
or pleased when they met with disaster;
30 I never sinned by praying for their death.
31 All those who work for me know
that I have always welcomed strangers.
32 I invited travelers into my home
and never let them sleep in the streets.

33 Others try to hide their sins,
but I have never concealed mine.
34 I have never feared what people would say;
I have never kept quiet or stayed indoors
because I feared their scorn.

35 Will no one listen to what I am saying?
I swear that every word is true.
Let Almighty God answer me.

If the charges my opponent brings against me
were written down so that I could see them,
36 I would wear them proudly on my shoulder
and place them on my head like a crown.
37 I would tell God everything I have done,
and hold my head high in his presence.

38 If I have stolen the land I farm
and taken it from its rightful owners—
39 if I have eaten the food that grew there
but let the farmers that grew it starve—
40 then instead of wheat and barley,
may weeds and thistles grow.

The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:18 All my life … them; Hebrew unclear.

Cross references

  1. Job 31:16 : Tob 4:7-Tob 4:11; Tob 4:16
  2. Job 31:24 : Sir 31:5-Sir 31:10

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31 A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what -- do I attend to a virgin? 2 And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights? 3 Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity? 4 Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number? 5...
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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 ...
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Job 31 - World English Bible (WEB)

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?4 Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps...
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Job 31 - The Voice (VOICE)

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Job 31 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

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Job 31 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a virgin?2 What would be my portion from God above, and my heritage from the Almighty on high?3 Does not calamity befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity?4 Does not he see my ways, and number all my steps? 5 “If...
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Job 31 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a virgin?2 What would be my portion from God above, and my heritage from the Almighty on high?3 Does not calamity befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity?4 Does not he see my ways, and number all my steps? 5 “If...
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Job 31 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a virgin?2 What would be my portion from God above, and my heritage from the Almighty[a] on high?3 Does not calamity befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity?4 Does he not see my ways, and number all my steps? 5 ...
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Job 31 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

31 ‘I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a virgin?2 What would be my portion from God above, and my heritage from the Almighty[a] on high?3 Does not calamity befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity?4 Does he not see my ways, and number all my steps? 5 ...
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Job 31 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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Job 31 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Job’s Final Protest of Innocence31 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.2 For what has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?3 Isn’t it calamity for the wicked and misfortune for those who do evil?4 Doesn’t he see everything I do...
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Job 31 - New Life Version (NLV)

Job Keeps On Talking31 “I have made an agreement with my eyes not to look with desire at a young woman. 2 What would be my share from God above? What would my gift be from the All-powerful on high? 3 Does not trouble come to those who are not right and good? Do not hard times come to those who do ...
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Job 31 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Job Defends His Righteousness31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;Why then should I [a]look upon a (A)young woman?2 For what is the (B)allotment of God from above,And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?3 Is it not destruction for the wicked,And disaster for the workers of iniquity?4 (C)...
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Job 31 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

31 ‘I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.2 For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high?3 Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong?4 Does he not see my ways and count my every step? 5 ‘If I have walked with falsehoo...
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Job 31 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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Job 31 - New English Translation (NET)

Job Vindicates Himself31 “I made a covenant with[a] my eyes;how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin?[b]2 What then would be one’s lot from God above,one’s heritage from the Almighty[c] on high?3 Is it not misfortune for the unjust,and disaster for those who work iniquity?4 Does he not s...
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