BibleStudyIt Job 31

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes ^{( A )}
not to look lustfully at a young woman. ^{( B )
2} For what is our lot ^{( C )} from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high? ^{( D )
3} Is it not ruin ^{( E )} for the wicked,
disaster ^{( F )} for those who do wrong? ^{( G )
4} Does he not see my ways ^{( H )}
and count my every step? ^{( I )}

⁵ “If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit ^{( J )} —
⁶ let God weigh me ^{( K )} in honest scales ^{( L )}
and he will know that I am blameless ^{( M )} —
⁷ if my steps have turned from the path, ^{( N )}
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands ^{( O )} have been defiled, ^{( P )
8} then may others eat what I have sown, ^{( Q )}
and may my crops be uprooted. ^{( R )}

⁹ “If my heart has been enticed ^{( S )} by a woman, ^{( T )}
or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
¹⁰ then may my wife grind ^{( U )} another man’s grain,
and may other men sleep with her. ^{( V )
11} For that would have been wicked, ^{( W )}
a sin to be judged. ^{( X )
12} It is a fire ^{( Y )} that burns to Destruction ^{[ a ]} ; ^{( Z )}
it would have uprooted my harvest. ^{( AA )}

¹³ “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, ^{( AB )}
whether male or female,
when they had a grievance against me, ^{( AC )
14} what will I do when God confronts me? ^{( AD )}
What will I answer when called to account? ^{( AE )
15} Did not he who made me in the womb make them? ^{( AF )}
Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? ^{( AG )}

¹⁶ “If I have denied the desires of the poor ^{( AH )}
or let the eyes of the widow ^{( AI )} grow weary, ^{( AJ )
17} if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless ^{( AK )} —
¹⁸ but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
and from my birth I guided the widow ^{( AL )} —
¹⁹ if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, ^{( AM )}
or the needy ^{( AN )} without garments,
²⁰ and their hearts did not bless me ^{( AO )}
for warming them with the fleece ^{( AP )} from my sheep,
²¹ if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, ^{( AQ )}
knowing that I had influence in court, ^{( AR )
22} then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint. ^{( AS )
23} For I dreaded destruction from God, ^{( AT )}
and for fear of his splendor ^{( AU )} I could not do such things. ^{( AV )}

²⁴ “If I have put my trust in gold ^{( AW )}
or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ ^{( AX )
25} if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, ^{( AY )}
the fortune my hands had gained, ^{( AZ )
26} if I have regarded the sun ^{( BA )} in its radiance
or the moon ^{( BB )} moving in splendor,
²⁷ so that my heart was secretly enticed ^{( BC )}
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, ^{( BD )
28} then these also would be sins to be judged, ^{( BE )}
for I would have been unfaithful to God on high. ^{( BF )}

²⁹ “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune ^{( BG )}
or gloated over the trouble that came to him ^{( BH )} —
³⁰ I have not allowed my mouth to sin
by invoking a curse against their life ^{( BI )} —
³¹ if those of my household have never said,
‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’ ^{( BJ )} —
³² but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
for my door was always open to the traveler ^{( BK )} —
³³ if I have concealed ^{( BL )} my sin as people do, ^{[ b ]}
by hiding ^{( BM )} my guilt in my heart
³⁴ because I so feared the crowd ^{( BN )}
and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
that I kept silent ^{( BO )} and would not go outside—

³⁵ (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! ^{( BP )}
I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
let my accuser ^{( BQ )} put his indictment in writing.
³⁶ Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, ^{( BR )}
I would put it on like a crown. ^{( BS )
37} I would give him an account of my every step; ^{( BT )}
I would present it to him as to a ruler. ^{( BU )} )—

³⁸ “if my land cries out against me ^{( BV )}
and all its furrows are wet ^{( BW )} with tears,
³⁹ if I have devoured its yield without payment ^{( BX )}
or broken the spirit of its tenants, ^{( BY )
40} then let briers ^{( BZ )} come up instead of wheat
and stinkweed ^{( CA )} instead of barley.”