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Job 31

1

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

2

For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

1
3

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

1
4

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

1
5

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

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Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

7

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

8

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

1
9

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;

10

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11

For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

12

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

14

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

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16

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

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18

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)

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If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

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20

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

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22

Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23

For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

24

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

25

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

26

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

27

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

29

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

30

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

31

If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

32

The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

33

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

34

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

35

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

36

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

37

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

39

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

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Job 31

Job asserts his innocence in great detail, making a series of oaths regarding specific moral failures from which he has abstained: he has not lusted, has not dealt falsely with servants, has not withheld help from the poor, has not trusted in wealth, has not rejoiced at others' misfortune, and has not concealed his sin. He invites God to find any hidden transgression, to weigh him on just scales, and to hold him accountable, expressing confidence that he will be found innocent. Job's detailed oath functions as a comprehensive assertion of his righteousness and as an appeal to God to examine and vindicate him. The chapter represents the culmination of Job's defense of himself: he has maintained his integrity despite all pressure from the friends and despite his apparent abandonment by God, and he rests his case on the conviction that God, if truly just, must recognize and acknowledge this integrity.

Job 31:40

Let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended — the agricultural curse formula that closes the oath invokes the earth itself to judge Job if any of his sworn denials were false. Thorns instead of wheat recalls the curse of Genesis 3:18, where the ground's productivity turns to struggle as a consequence of sin; for Job's ground to produce only thorns would be a sign of divine judgment confirming his guilt. But Job has sworn truthfully, so this curse serves only to underscore the gravity of his oath. The closing editorial note — 'the words of Job are ended' — marks a literary boundary before the Elihu speeches and the divine voice from the whirlwind.

Job 31:10

Then let my wife grind for another and let others bow down over her, invoking the judgment of sexual dishonor in return for infidelity—that Job's wife become another man's servant and subject to his will. The grinding for another suggests sexual service or degradation. The bowing down over her suggests sexual subjugation. The verse specifies the reciprocal justice that should follow infidelity.

Job 31:11

For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, asserting that adultery constitutes a crime meriting judicial punishment, emphasizing the seriousness of this transgression. The heinous crime designation establishes the moral gravity. The reference to judges suggests public judicial punishment. The verse establishes that Job views adultery as deserving of the strongest social and legal condemnation.

Job 31:12

For it would be a fire that consumes to Abaddon and would root out all my increase, describing adultery using the metaphor of consuming fire that reaches destruction itself, suggesting that sexual transgression destroys everything—happiness, property, even existence. The consuming fire suggests overwhelming destruction. Reaching to Abaddon suggests extending even to ultimate destruction. The rooting out of all increase suggests comprehensive loss. The verse emphasizes the totality of destruction adultery produces.

Job 31:13

If I have rejected the cause of my male or female servant when they brought a complaint to me, establishing Job's claim that he has not rejected servants' grievances, that he has given fair hearing to their cases. The rejection of cause would constitute abuse of power against those socially beneath Job. The bringing of complaint suggests servants' attempt to seek justice. The verse establishes Job's claim of fair treatment of his social inferiors.

Job 31:14

What then shall I do when God rises up? When he visits, what shall I answer him, establishing the theological foundation: if Job has mistreated servants, how could he answer God's judgment? The rising of God suggests divine action in judgment. The visitation suggests divine examination. The question about answering suggests that Job recognizes accountability before God. The verse appeals to the principle that how one treats the vulnerable determines how God will judge.

Job 31:15

Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb, asserting the fundamental equality of all humans before the Creator, suggesting that Job recognizes servant and master as equally fashioned by God. The making in the womb suggests the act of creation itself. The fashioning by one—God—suggests that all humans participate in the same creative action. The verse establishes the metaphysical basis for moral equality.

Job 31:16

If I have withheld the poor from their desire or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, establishing Job's claim that he has not denied the poor or caused the widow to lose hope through his inaction. The withholding from the poor's desire suggests refusing to provide what they need. The causing of the widow's eyes to fail suggests depriving her of hope. The verse establishes Job's claim of active provision for the vulnerable.

Job 31:33

Because I feared the crowd and the contempt of families terrified me so that I kept silence and did not go out of the door, establishing that Job has not concealed sin out of fear of social judgment, that he has not prioritized reputation over truth. The fear of crowd and terror of families suggests concern for social standing. The keeping of silence and not going out suggests withdrawal from public life to avoid judgment. The verse establishes that Job's integrity has not been compromised by fear of social consequence.

Job 31:34

Would that I had someone to hear me! Behold, my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! And let my accuser write his indictment!, concluding Job's moral defense by appealing for God to respond to his claims and for his accuser to document charges, expressing Job's willingness to have his moral record examined. The desire for someone to hear expresses Job's wish for serious attention. The signing suggests Job's willingness to stake his name and reputation on his claims. The call for God to answer and the accuser to document suggests Job's confidence that examination will vindicate him. The verse culminates Job's moral self-defense.

Job 31:35

O that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature — let the Almighty answer me! O that I had the indictment written by my adversary! This is the climactic verse of Job's final oath of innocence: having sworn to his integrity verse by verse, Job now demands a formal hearing before the divine court. The call for the Almighty to answer him directly anticipates and precipitates the divine speeches that follow in chapters 38-41. Job's request for the adversary's written indictment expresses the same legal confidence — if the charges were spelled out, he could answer them. The verse marks the crucial transition in the book from human argument to divine response.

Job 31:36

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown — Job's defiant declaration that he would wear any written indictment against him as a crown rather than a mark of shame amplifies the confidence of verse 35 to the point of audacious boldness. The image of a crown transforms accusation into ornament, legal summons into royal display. This is not arrogance but the extreme form of protestations of innocence: Job has so thoroughly examined his own conduct that he would make his case public, inviting scrutiny rather than fleeing it. The verse functions as the rhetorical peak of the oath of innocence, daring the divine judge to state the charges.

Job 31:37

I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him — Job's concluding posture before his imagined divine court is that of a prince, not a suppliant. The account of all his steps echoes the comprehensive catalog of potential sins he has sworn against throughout chapter 31; having examined each, he approaches not groveling but standing. The prince imagery is striking — it anticipates God's own later words that Job has spoken rightly, and that Job's posture of direct engagement, however bold, is more honorable than the friends' theological capitulation. This verse closes Job's speech before the divine speeches of chapters 38-41 transform the encounter entirely.

Job 31:38

If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept together — Job extends his oath of innocence to include the land itself as witness. In ancient Near Eastern and biblical thought, the land participates in the moral order: it cries out at injustice, it mourns when violated (see Genesis 4:10; Leviticus 18:25). Job's willingness to call the very soil he farmed as a potential witness against him demonstrates the comprehensiveness of his self-examination. The agricultural imagery connects personal ethics to creation order — how one uses the land reflects one's covenant faithfulness.

Job 31:39

If I have eaten its yield without payment and made its owners breathe their last — Job addresses the potential sin of exploiting tenant farmers or servants who worked his land, consuming the fruit of their labor without just compensation. The phrase 'made its owners breathe their last' suggests either driving workers to exhaustion or dispossessing them of their livelihood. This verse reflects the same social ethics as the earlier oath verses regarding widows, orphans, and strangers — all forms of economic exploitation violate the covenant. The implicit denial is that Job has been a just employer and landowner.

Job 31:9

If my heart has been enticed by a woman and I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door, addressing the specific sin of adultery and the conspiracy to commit it, establishing that Job claims not to have been so enticed or to have engaged in such plotting. The enticement of the heart suggests being drawn into lustful desire. The lying in wait suggests premeditated pursuit. The verse establishes that Job claims freedom from the specific sin of sexual misconduct.

Job 31:17

Or have eaten my morsel alone and the orphan has not eaten of it, specifying that Job has not consumed his food privately without sharing with the orphaned and vulnerable. The eating alone suggests selfish consumption. The orphan not eating suggests exclusion of the vulnerable from provision. The verse emphasizes that Job has included the orphan in his table fellowship.

Job 31:18

For from my youth I reared him like a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the orphan, extending the depiction of Job's care for orphans by depicting his paternal role established from youth and continuity from the earliest stages of the orphan's life. The rearing like a father suggests not merely material provision but familial care. The guiding from the womb suggests involvement from the earliest vulnerable stage. The verse establishes that Job's care for orphans has been comprehensive and lifelong.

Job 31:19

If I have seen anyone perishing without clothing or the needy without covering, establishing Job's claim that he has not observed the destitute without responding to their nakedness. The seeing of the perishing in rags and the needy without covering suggests observation of visible deprivation. The implication is that when Job sees such deprivation, he acts to remedy it. The verse establishes Job's claim of responsive compassion.

Job 31:20

If his loins have not blessed me and he has not been warmed by the fleece of my sheep, extending the depiction by specifying that Job's provision has been concrete and warm—sheep's wool providing protection from cold. The blessing of loins suggests gratitude for physical provision that protects and warms. The warming by fleece of Job's own sheep suggests that Job has given up his own possessions to warm others. The verse emphasizes concrete, personal sacrifice for others' welfare.

Job 31:21

If I have raised my hand against the orphan because I saw that I had supporters at the gate, establishing Job's claim that he has not used his power at the gate—where judgment occurred—to abuse the vulnerable. The raising of hand suggests violent aggression. The supporters at the gate suggests allies in legal proceeding. The verse establishes that Job has not abused his power against those without advocates.

Job 31:22

Then let my arm fall from my shoulder, and my arm be broken from the bone, invoking the judgment that Job's arm—symbol of his power and capability—be shattered, if he has abused the orphan. The falling from shoulder and breaking from bone suggests violent disability. The verse specifies disability as appropriate judgment for such abuse.

Job 31:23

For calamity from God was a terror to me, and because of his majesty I could not act thus, establishing that Job's ethical restraint has been grounded in fear of God and recognition of divine majesty, suggesting that Job's virtue flows from reverence rather than mere self-interest. The calamity from God being a terror suggests that Job feared divine judgment. The majesty of God suggests Job recognized something greater than himself. The verse establishes that Job's morality is theologically grounded.

Job 31:24

If I have made gold my hope or said to the fine gold, You are my confidence, establishing Job's claim that he has not made wealth into an idol, that he has not placed ultimate trust in material possessions. The making of gold into hope and confidence suggests the idolatry of wealth. The addressing of gold as if it were a deity suggests the personification of material trust. The verse establishes that Job has maintained proper spiritual priorities.

Job 31:25

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great and my hand had gained much, establishing that Job has not made the accumulation of wealth into ultimate good, suggesting he has not allowed possessions to become the measure of his happiness. The rejoicing in wealth and in what the hand gained suggests making material accumulation into the ultimate good. The verse establishes that Job's happiness has not been grounded in material success.

Job 31:26

If I have looked at the sun when it shone or the moon moving in splendor, and my heart was enticed and my mouth kissed my hand, establishing Job's claim that he has not committed idolatry of the celestial bodies, that his reverence has been reserved for the true God. The looking at the sun and moon shining suggests aesthetic appreciation. The heart being enticed and mouth kissing the hand suggests the gesture of worship or reverence directed toward these bodies. The verse establishes that Job has not diverted his worship to cosmic elements.

Job 31:27

This too would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied God who is above, asserting that celestial idolatry would constitute legal crime deserving judgment, while also constituting denial of the true God. The iniquity punishable by judges suggests that idolatry merits judicial punishment. The denying of God above suggests that idolatry constitutes fundamental apostasy. The verse emphasizes that improper worship is both crime and spiritual betrayal.

Job 31:28

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of one who hated me or exulted when evil came upon him, establishing Job's claim that he has not taken pleasure in the suffering of his enemies, that he has not gloated over others' misfortune. The rejoicing at destruction and exulting at evil coming upon enemies suggests the satisfaction of revenge. The verse establishes that Job has maintained compassion even toward those he has reason to resent.

Job 31:29

I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse, extending the claim by establishing that Job has not cursed enemies to death, that his speech has been restrained even in conflict. The allowing mouth to sin suggests sinful speech. The asking for life with curse suggests invoking death on enemies. The verse establishes that Job's moral restraint extends to the realm of speech and curse.

Job 31:30

If the men of my tent have not said, Who is there who has not been filled with his meat, establishing that Job's household can testify to his generous hospitality, suggesting that all in Job's household have had sufficient food. The men of his tent represent Job's household. The question about who has not been filled suggests universal provision within Job's house. The verse appeals to the testimony of those closest to Job.

Job 31:31

The sojourner has not spent the night outside; I have opened my doors to the wayfarer, establishing Job's claim of generous hospitality to travelers and the displaced, that he has not refused shelter to those in need. The sojourner not spending outside suggests that Job has provided shelter. The opening of doors to wayfarer suggests active welcome. The verse emphasizes hospitality as part of Job's moral practice.

Job 31:32

If I have concealed my sin like men, hiding my iniquity in my bosom, establishing Job's final claim: that if he has hidden sin like humans commonly do, concealing wrongdoing in himself. The concealing like men suggests the universal human tendency to hide sin. The hiding in the bosom suggests keeping secret what should be confessed. The verse sets up the final conditional structure.

Job 31:1

I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze upon a virgin, establishing Job's affirmation of moral integrity through the metaphor of covenant with his eyes, suggesting that Job has bound himself to avoid lustful looking. The covenant with eyes suggests that vision itself is subject to moral discipline, that looking constitutes a choice requiring ethical commitment. The specific reference to gazing upon virgins indicates that Job has avoided the particular temptation of lustful desire directed at young women. The verse begins Job's comprehensive catalog of moral commitments.

Job 31:2

For what then is the portion of God from above, and the inheritance of the Almighty from the heights, establishing the theological foundation for Job's moral commitments: the recognition that God's judgment will determine ultimate distribution of reward and punishment. The question form suggests Job appealing to the assumption that God does maintain moral order. The references to portion and inheritance suggest that God determines who receives blessing and who receives condemnation. The verse establishes that Job's morality is grounded in expectation of divine judgment.

Job 31:3

Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for those who work iniquity, extending the theological principle by asserting that moral law operates such that the wicked experience calamity and the iniquitous experience disaster. The rhetorical question form expects affirmative answer, asserting that this causal connection represents moral reality. The specification of calamity for the unrighteous and disaster for the iniquitous suggests that wickedness produces its own consequences. The verse affirms Job's belief in moral order while using it to establish his own righteousness.

Job 31:4

Does he not see my ways and count all my steps, appealing to divine omniscience as the foundation for moral responsibility: if God sees all and counts all steps, then God knows Job's righteousness. The question form again expects affirmative answer. The seeing of ways and counting of steps emphasizes comprehensive divine observation. The verse appeals to divine knowledge as the basis for divine judgment that will vindicate Job.

Job 31:5

If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried to deceit, establishing the conditional structure Job will employ repeatedly: if Job has committed a particular sin, then may he receive judgment. The walking with falsehood and hurrying to deceit represent moral failures Job claims not to have committed. The conditional form allows Job to invoke judgment on himself if his claim proves false. The verse establishes Job's method of moral testimony: conditional self-curse if guilty.

Job 31:6

Let him weigh me in just balances that God may know my integrity, calling for divine judgment through the metaphor of balanced scales, requesting that God weigh Job's integrity and find it substantial. The just balances suggest fair and accurate measurement. The knowing of integrity suggests that proper measurement will reveal Job's righteousness. The verse appeals to divine justice as the instrument that will vindicate Job.

Job 31:7

If my step has turned from the way or my heart has gone after my eyes or any spot has adhered to my hands, extending the conditional structure with additional moral claims: if Job has strayed from the path, been ruled by desire, or allowed any evil to attach to him, then may judgment follow. The multiple conditions create a comprehensive moral self-examination. The heart going after eyes suggests ruling of reason by desire. The spot adhering to hands suggests moral contamination. The verse emphasizes the totality of Job's moral commitment.

Job 31:8

Then let me sow and another eat; and let my crops be uprooted, invoking judgment in the form of agricultural loss—that another eat Job's harvest and his crops be destroyed—if Job has committed these moral failures. The sowing for another to eat represents the loss of labor's fruit. The uprooting of crops suggests total destruction. The verse specifies concrete consequences for moral failure.