Job chapter 31 in Hebrew and English

בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבּוֹנֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃

I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a maid?

וּמֶה חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל וְנַחֲלַת שַׁדַּי מִמְּרֹמִֽים׃

For what would be the portion of God from above, And the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?

הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְכָל־צְעָדַי יִסְפּֽוֹר׃

Doth not He see my ways, And count all my steps?

אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָה רַגְלִֽי׃

If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hath hasted to deceit -

יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלוֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִֽי׃

Let me be weighed in a just balance, That God may know mine integrity -

אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מֻאוּֽם׃

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

אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ׃

Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

אִם־נִפְתָּה לִבִּי עַל־אִשָּׁה וְעַל־פֶּתַח רֵעִי אָרָֽבְתִּי׃

If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, And I have lain in wait at my neighbour’s door;

תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִֽין׃

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

כִּי־הִיא זִמָּה וְהוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִֽים׃

For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדּוֹן תֹּאכֵל וּבְכָל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵֽשׁ׃

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

אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִֽי׃

If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, Or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me -

וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃

What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when He remembereth, what shall I answer Him?

הֲלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָֽד׃

Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?

אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּֽה׃

If I have withheld aught that the poor desired, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹא־אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof -

כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃

Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have been her guide from my mother’s womb.

אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

If I have seen any wanderer in want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

אִם־לֹא בֵרֲכוּנִי חֲלָצָיו וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃

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

אִם־הֲנִיפוֹתִי עַל־יָתוֹם יָדִי כִּי־אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִֽי׃

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate;

כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃

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

כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָֽל׃

For calamity from God was a terror to me, And by reason of His majesty I could do nothing.

אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי׃

If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold: ‘Thou art my confidence’;

אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִי־כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִֽי׃

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

אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵֽךְ׃

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

וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִֽי׃

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand;

גַּם־הוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִי כִּי־כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּֽעַל׃

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have lied to God that is above.

אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּי־מְצָאוֹ רָֽע׃

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or exulted when evil found him -

וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse.

אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אָהֳלִי מִי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא נִשְׂבָּֽע׃

If the men of my tent said not: ‘Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?’ .

בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּֽח׃

The stranger did not lodge in the street; My doors I opened to the roadside.

אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֺֽנִי׃

If after the manner of men I covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom -

כִּי אֶעֱרוֹץ הָמוֹן רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחוֹת יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פָֽתַח׃

Because I feared the great multitude, And the most contemptible among families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door.

מִי יִתֶּן־לִי שֹׁמֵעַ לִי הֶן־תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וְסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִֽי׃

Oh that I had one to hear me! - Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me - And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

אִם־לֹא עַל־שִׁכְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרוֹת לִֽי׃

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.

מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ־נָגִיד אֲקָרֲבֶֽנּוּ׃

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

אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיֽוּן׃

If my land cry out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together;

אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּֽחְתִּי׃

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the tillers thereof to be disappointed -

תַּחַת חִטָּה יֵצֵא חוֹחַ וְתַחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בָאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיּֽוֹב׃

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And noisome weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.