Job 31

1 “I have made [solemnly promised, vowed to myself] a covenant [agreement, pact] with my eyes [the source of my desires]. How then could I gaze [look lustfully, think upon] with desire [longing, passion] at a virgin [young woman, bride]? word study 2 For what [the portion or share] is the allotment [inheritance, heritage] of God [Eloah, the one true God] from above [on high, from heaven], or the heritage [inheritance, possession] from the Almighty [Shadday, all-powerful] on high [from the heights, in the highest places]? word study 3 Does not [certainly, without a doubt] disaster [calamity, misfortune] come to the unjust [morally evil, wicked] and calamity [destruction, strange punishment] to the workers [those who habitually do] of iniquity [evil, wickedness]? word study 4 Does He [the Provider] not see [observe, look after] my ways [path, journey, manner of life] and count [number, recount, consider] my every step [pace, stride, path of life]? word study 5 If I have walked [gone, traveled] in falsehood [vanity, emptiness] or my foot [steps, path] has rushed [hastened, been eager] to deceit [cheating, trickery], word study 6 let God [the supreme Judge, Eloah] weigh me with honest [just, upright] scales [balances, measures of righteousness], that He may know [perceive, ascertain] my integrity [moral purity, innocence]. word study 7 If my steps [turned aside from the path, wandered from God’s way] have turned from the path, if my heart [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect] has followed my eyes [the source of desire, what I see], or if impurity [a stain on my character, moral flaw] has stuck [cleaved, clung to] to my hands [the palm], word study 8 then may another [a different person, someone else] eat [consume, devour] what I have sown [planted seeds, cultivated], and may my crops [offspring, produce] be uprooted [removed, destroyed, rooted out]. word study 9 If my heart [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect] has been enticed [deceived, seduced] by my neighbor’s [friend’s, companion’s] wife, or I have lurked [laid wait, ambushed] at his door [entrance, doorway], word study 10 then may my own wife [become a servant to, grind for] grind grain for another, and may other men sleep [have intimacy with] with her [as a sign of utter shame and disgrace]. word study 11 For that would be a heinous [wicked] crime [an act of moral evil], an iniquity [sin] to be judged [punished by the judges, condemned]. word study 12 For [because of this reason] it is a fire [that consumes to destruction] that burns down to [until it reaches] Abaddon [a place of destruction or ruin]; it would [be able to] root out [uproot, destroy completely] my entire [all of my] harvest [produce, income, fruit of my labor]. word study 13 If [under any circumstance, whether] I have rejected [despised, refused to hear] the cause [justice, judgment, rightful claim] of my manservant [male servant, slave] or maidservant [female servant, slave] when they made [brought, contended with] a complaint [lawsuit, contention] against me [with me, in my presence], word study 14 what [or how] will I do when God [Elohim, the supreme Judge] rises [stands up, takes action] to judge? How [in what manner] will I answer when called [summoned, required] to account [give a reckoning, provide an explanation]? word study 15 Did not He [the Creator, God] who made [formed, created] me in the womb [belly, place of birth] also make [create, form] them? Did not the same One [alone, united] form [establish, shape] us in the womb [matrix, place of growth]? word study 16 If I have [withheld from pleasure, restrained] denied the desires [pleasure, delight] of the poor [needy, weak] or allowed [caused to fail, made to wait] the widow’s [a woman whose husband has died, alone and vulnerable] eyes [source of hope] to fail [end, come to nothing], word study 17 if I have eaten [devoured, consumed] my morsel [a small piece of food, a bite] alone [by myself, apart], not [never, without exception] sharing it with the fatherless [orphan, child without a father, the vulnerable]— word study 18 though from my [early life, youthful days] youth I reared him as would a father [father figure, paternal guide], and from my mother’s womb [place of birth] I guided [led, directed] the widow— word study 19 if I have seen one [near to death, perishing] perish [be destroyed, lost] for lack of [without, having no] clothing [garments, a wife], or a needy [poor, oppressed] man [someone in need] without [lacking, having no] a cloak [covering, a garment to cover the body], word study 20 if his heart [loins, the seat of vigor and strength] has not blessed [praised or honored] me for warming [to warm or heat] him with the fleece [woolly coat] of my sheep [young ram or lamb], word study 21 if I have lifted up [waved, raised in threat] my hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] against the fatherless [orphan, child without a father] because I saw [perceived, realized] that I had [possessed, relied on] support [help, aid] in the gate [city entrance, place of judgment], word study 22 then may my arm [upper limb] fall [to be torn away, to drop down] from my shoulder [shoulder blade, upper end of the arm] and be torn [broken, shattered] from its socket [joint, base of the arm]. word study 23 For [because of, due to] calamity [disaster, oppression] from God [the Almighty, divine Judge] terrifies [fills me with dread, is a terror to] me, and His [majestic, glorious] splendor [elevation, highness] I [am not able] cannot overpower [endure, overcome]. word study 24 If I have put my trust [made gold my hope, relied on] in gold [valuable metal] or called pure gold [fine gold, refined and precious] my security [confidence, refuge, place of trust], word study 25 if I have rejoiced [been glad, delighted] in my great [abundant, vast] wealth [riches, possessions] because my hand [strength, power] had gained [acquired, obtained] so much [many things, a great amount], word study 26 if I have beheld [seen with wonder, gazed at] the sun [light, including natural light] in its radiance [brilliance, splendor] or the moon [precious, valuable] moving [walking, going] in splendor [brightness, majesty], word study 27 so that my heart [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect] was secretly [in hiding, under cover] enticed [deceived, tempted] and my hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] threw a kiss [a gesture of worship or affection] from my mouth [lips, the edge of something], word study 28 this would also [too, even] be an iniquity [moral evil, sin] to be judged [punished by the judge], for I would have denied [lied to, rejected] God [the God that is above, Elohim] on high [above, in heaven]. word study 29 If I have rejoiced [felt intense gladness, been delighted] in my enemy’s [one who hates me, adversary] ruin [destruction, disaster], or exulted [lifted up myself, triumphed] when evil [bad, morally harmful] befell [happened to, came upon] him— word study 30 I have not [in no way, never] allowed my mouth [palate, the source of speech] to sin [miss the mark, go wrong] by asking [to inquire, wishing] for his life [soul, living being] with a curse [oath, a promise invoking judgment]— word study 31 if the men [those who work for me, of my household] of my house [tent, dwelling place] have not said [spoken, declared], ‘Who [what person, anyone] is there who has not had his fill [been satisfied, eaten enough]?’— word study 32 but no [foreign, temporary resident] stranger [sojourner, traveler] had to lodge [stay, take rest] on the street [outside, in the open], for my [own, personal] door [entrance, gate] has been open [unlocked, accessible] to the [weary, traveling] traveler [wayfarer, guest]— word study 33 if I have covered [hid or concealed] my transgressions [rebellions or sins] like Adam [the first man] by hiding [concealing or keeping secret] my guilt [iniquity or moral evil] in my heart [bosom or innermost being], word study 34 because I greatly [exceedingly, to a high degree] feared [dreaded, was terrified of] the crowds [a great multitude, large group of people] and the contempt [disrespect, scorn] of the clans [families, tribes] terrified [filled with fear, affrighted] me, so that I kept [was silent, held my peace] silent [still, quiet] and would not [refused to] go outside [out of the door, from my house]— word study 35 (Oh, that I had one [a hearer, someone to listen] to hear me! Here is my signature [my mark, a sign of my integrity]. Let the Almighty [Shadday, the all-powerful God] answer me; let my accuser [adversary, one who opposes me] compose an indictment [a written charge, a book of accusation]. word study 36 Surely I would carry [take up, lift] it on my shoulder [back, upper body] and wear [bind, tie] it like [as, in the manner of] a crown [royal dignity]. word study 37 I would give account [declare openly, tell the story] of all my steps [the path of my life, every pace]; I would approach [come near, present myself] Him [as my Judge] like a prince [as a leader, with confidence].)— word study 38 if my land [the earth, soil] cries out [to cry out for help, accuse] against me and its furrows [ridges, ploughed earth] weep [to shed tears, mourn] together [in unity, as one], word study 39 if I have devoured [eaten without payment, consumed without cost] its produce [fruits, crops] without payment [silver, money] or broken [caused to lose their life, afflicted] the spirit [soul, life] of its tenants [owners, masters], word study 40 then let [thistles, thorns] briers grow instead of [grain] wheat and [foul weed, cockle] stinkweed instead of [grain, food] barley.” Thus [to finish, complete] conclude the words [chronicles, sayings] of Job. word study