Job31

Job 31 presents Job's final, extensive oath of integrity before God and his friends. He meticulously lists various sins he has abstained from, including lust, injustice towards servants, lack of charity, idolatry, and malice towards enemies. Job asserts his blameless conduct, invoking severe self-curses if he has committed any of these transgressions. He concludes by expressing a fervent desire for God to answer his plea and acknowledge his righteousness.

Job’s Oath of Integrity: Purity of the Eyes

1
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?

Honesty and Uprightness in Conduct

5
If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,
6
He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.
7
If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,
8
Let me sow--and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.

Commitment to Marital Fidelity

9
If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,
10
Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.
11
For it is a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
12
For a fire it is , to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,

Justice in Dealing with Servants

13
If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,
14
Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him?
15
Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

Generosity to the Poor and Vulnerable

16
If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,
17
And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,
18
(But from my youth He grew up with me as with a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)
19
If I see any perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,
20
If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,
21
If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in him the gate of my court,
22
My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.
23
For a dread unto me is calamity from God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

Rejection of Materialism and Idolatry

24
If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, `My trust,'
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If I rejoice because great is my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,
26
If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,
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And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,
28
It also is a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.

Ethics toward Enemies and Strangers

29
If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,
30
Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
31
If not--say ye, O men of my tent, `O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'
32
In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

Refusing to Hide Sin

33
If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,
34
Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.
35
Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.
36
If not--on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.
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The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

Justice Regarding the Land

38
If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,
39
If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,
40
Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.
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