Job 31
Bible in Basic English
1I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?
2For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?
3Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?
4Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?
5If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;
6(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:)
7If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands;
8Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.
9If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;
10Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.
11For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:
12It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.
13If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me;
14What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?
15Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?
16If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;
17If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;
18(For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;)
19If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;
20If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;
21If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;
22May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.
23For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.
24If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;
25If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;
26If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,
27A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;
28That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.
29If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;
30(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;)
31If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?
32The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;
33If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,
34For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;
35If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!
36Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;
37I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.
38If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;
39If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;
40Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.
Reina-Valera 1909
1HICE pacto con mis ojos: ¿cómo pues había yo de pensar en virgen?
2Porque ¿qué galardón me daría de arriba Dios, y qué heredad el Omnipotente de las alturas?
3¿No hay quebrantamiento para el impío, y extrañamiento para los que obran iniquidad?
4¿No ve él mis caminos, y cuenta todos mis pasos?
5Si anduve con mentira, y si mi pie se apresuró á engaño,
6Péseme Dios en balanzas de justicia, y conocerá mi integridad.
7Si mis pasos se apartaron del camino, y si mi corazón se fué tras mis ojos, y si algo se apegó á mis manos,
8Siembre yo, y otro coma, y mis verduras sean arrancadas.
9Si fué mi corazón engañado acerca de mujer, y si estuve acechando á la puerta de mi prójimo:
10Muela para otro mi mujer, y sobre ella otros se encorven.
11Porque es maldad é iniquidad, que han de castigar los jueces.
12Porque es fuego que devoraría hasta el sepulcro, y desarraigaría toda mi hacienda.
13Si hubiera tenido en poco el derecho de mi siervo y de mi sierva, cuando ellos pleitearan conmigo,
14¿Qué haría yo cuando Dios se levantase? y cuando él visitara, ¿qué le respondería yo?
15El que en el vientre me hizo á mí, ¿no lo hizo á él? ¿y no nos dispuso uno mismo en la matriz?
16Si estorbé el contento de los pobres, é hice desfallecer los ojos de la viuda;
17Y si comí mi bocado solo, y no comió de él el huérfano;
18(Porque desde mi mocedad creció conmigo como con padre, y desde el vientre de mi madre fuí guía de la viuda;)
19Si he visto que pereciera alguno sin vestido, y al menesteroso sin cobertura;
20Si no me bendijeron sus lomos, y del vellón de mis ovejas se calentaron;
21Si alcé contra el huérfano mi mano, aunque viese que me ayudarían en la puerta;
22Mi espalda se caiga de mi hombro, y mi brazo sea quebrado de mi canilla.
23Porque temí el castigo de Dios, contra cuya alteza yo no tendría poder.
24Si puse en oro mi esperanza, y dije al oro: Mi confianza eres tú;
25Si me alegré de que mi hacienda se multiplicase, y de que mi mano hallase mucho;
26Si he mirado al sol cuando resplandecía, y á la luna cuando iba hermosa,
27Y mi corazón se engañó en secreto, y mi boca besó mi mano:
28Esto también fuera maldad juzgada; porque habría negado al Dios soberano.
29Si me alegré en el quebrantamiento del que me aborrecía, y me regocijé cuando le halló el mal;
30(Que ni aun entregué al pecado mi paladar, pidiendo maldición para su alma;)
31Cuando mis domésticos decían: ¡Quién nos diese de su carne! nunca nos hartaríamos.
32El extranjero no tenía fuera la noche; mis puertas abría al caminante.
33Si encubrí, como los hombres mis prevaricaciones, escondiendo en mi seno mi iniquidad;
34Porque quebrantaba á la gran multitud, y el menosprecio de las familias me atemorizó, y callé, y no salí de mi puerta:
35¡Quién me diera quien me oyese! He aquí mi impresión es que el Omnipotente testificaría por mí, aunque mi adversario me hiciera el proceso.
36Ciertamente yo lo llevaría sobre mi hombro, y me lo ataría en lugar de corona.
37Yo le contaría el número de mis pasos, y como príncipe me llegaría á él.
38Si mi tierra clama contra mí, y lloran todos sus surcos;
39Si comí su sustancia sin dinero, ó afligí el alma de sus dueños;
40En lugar de trigo me nazcan abrojos, y espinas en lugar de cebada. Acábanse las palabras de Job.
King James Version
1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
2For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.
7If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
8Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;
10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
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;)
19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;
20If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
22Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
25If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
31If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
32The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
34Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
World English Bible
1“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
2For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
6(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
7if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
8then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
10then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
11For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
12for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
13“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
14what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
15Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?
16“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
19if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
21if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
22then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
23For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
24“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
25If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
27and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
28this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
29“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
30(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
31if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
32(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
33if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—
35oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
37I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
38If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
39if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
40let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.