Job

Job 31

Job maketh a solemn protestation of his integrity in several duties.

1I ^aMADE a covenant with mine ^beyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

a Mat. 5.28,29. Pr. 4.25; 6.25; 23.33. Ge. 34.2. 2Sa. 11.2. b Ps. 119.37.

2For ^cwhat portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

c ch. 20.29; 27.13. Ep. 5.5. 1Co. 6.9,10.

3^dIs not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

d Ps. 11.5,6. Is. 28.21. Jude 7. He. 13.4. Mat. 25.41.

4^eDoth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

e 2Ch. 16.9. He. 4.13. ch. 34.21; 14.16. Pr. 5.21; 15.3. Je. 32.19; 16.17. Ps. 139.1-5. Jn. 1.48.

5^fIf I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

f Ps. 7.3-5; 4.2; 44.20,21. Pr. 13.11; 28.20.

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

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

g Ps. 7.3-5; 44.18,20. Ec. 11.9. 1Jn. 2.16. ch. 9.30,31. Eze. 14.3-7. h Nu. 15.39. v.1. Eze. 6.9. Mat. 5.29.

8Then ⁱlet me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

i Le. 26.16. De. 28.30-33. ch. 18.16-20.

9If ^jmine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

j Ec. 7.26. ch. 24.15,16. Je. 5.8. Pr. 7.8,19,21; 5.8.

10Then let my wife ^kgrind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

k Ex. 11.5. Is. 47.2. Mat. 24.41. Lu. 17.35. 2Sa. 12.11.

11For this is an ^lheinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity ^mto be punished by the judges.

l Pr. 6.29,33. Ge. 20.9; 39.9; 38.24. Le. 20.10. De. 22.22. Ex. 20.14. m v.28.

12For it is a ⁿfire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

n Pr. 6.27,29,34,35; 5.10. He. 13.4. Re. 21.8. Ge. 38.24. Je. 29.22,23. Mal. 3.5.

13If I ^odid despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

o Ep. 6.9. Col. 4.1. Ro. 12.19.

14What then shall I do when ^pGod riseth up? and when he visiteth, ^qwhat shall I answer him?

p Ps. 68.1; 44.21. Zec. 2.13. Is. 10.3. v.23. q ch. 42.4.

15^rDid not he that made me in the womb make him? and ²did not one fashion us in the womb?

r ch. 34.19. Mal. 2.10. Pr. 14.31; 22.2.

16If I have ^swithheld the poor from their desire, or have ^tcaused the eyes of the widow to fail;

s Lu. 16.21. ch. 22.9. t ch. 11.20.

17Or have ^ueaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

u Ro. 12.13. Ja. 2.16. 1Jn. 3.17.

18(For from my youth ^vhe was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have ^wguided ³her from my mother's womb;)

v Ja. 1.27. Eze. 18.16,17. ch. 29.13,16. w ch. 38.32.

19If I have ^xseen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

x Mat. 25.43. Ja. 2.16. ch. 22.6.

20If ^yhis loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

y De. 24.13. Mat. 25.36. 2Ti. 1.16.

21If I have ^zlifted up my hand ^aagainst the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

z Is. 58.6. ch. 29.12. a ch. 22.9.

22Then ^blet mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the ⁴bone.

b Ps. 7.5; 137.5,6. 1Ki. 13.4. ch. 22.9.

23For ^cdestruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his ^dhighness I could not endure.

c Is. 13.6. Ge. 39.9. Joel 1.15. 2Co. 5.11. Mat. 10.28. Ps. 119.120. d Ps. 76.7.

24If I ^ehave made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

e Ps. 52.7; 49.6; 62.10. Pr. 10.15. Mar. 10.24. Lu. 12.15. 1Ti. 6.17. Col. 3.5,6.

25If I ^frejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had ^5*gotten much;

f Es. 5.11. Ho. 12.8. Lu. 12.19; 16.19. Ja. 5.5. Ps. 62.10.

26If ^gI beheld ⁶the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in ⁷brightness;

g De. 4.19; 17.3. 2Ki. 21.5. Eze. 8.16.

27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or ⁸my mouth hath ^hkissed my hand:

h Ps. 2.12. Ho. 13.2. 1Ki. 19.18.

28This also were ⁱan iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have ^jdenied the God that is above.

i v.11. De. 13.1-17; 17.2-7. 2Ch. 15.13. Re. 21.8. j Ex. 20.3,5. Is. 42.8. Mat. 4.10.

29If I ^krejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

k Pr. 24.17; 17.5. Ps. 35.13,14.

30Neither have I suffered ⁹my mouth to sin by wishing ^la curse to his soul.

l Mat. 5.44. Ro. 12.14. Ec. 5.6.

31^mIf the men of my ^*tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

m v.17,18,32. He. 13.2. 1Pe. 4.9. 1Ti. 3.2; 5.10. Ge. 18.2-8; 19.2,3. Ju. 19.20,21.

32The ⁿstranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors ¹⁰to the traveller.

n Is. 58.7. Ge. 19.2,3. Mat. 25.35.

33If I covered my transgressions ¹¹as Adam, by hiding ^omine iniquity in my bosom:

o Ge. 3.7,8,12. Pr. 28.13. Ac. 5.8.

34Did ^pI fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

p Ex. 23.2. Pr. 29.25.

35^qOh that one would hear me! behold, ¹²my desire is , that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

q ch. 9.33-35; 10.2; 13.3,21,22; 17.3; 23.3-7; 33.6.

36Surely I would take it ^rupon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

r Is. 9.6; 22.22.

37I ^swould declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

s 1Pe. 3.15. Pr. 28.1. ch. 23.3,4.

38If my land ^tcry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof ¹³complain;

t Hab. 2.11. Ge. 4.10.

39If I ^uhave eaten ¹⁴the fruits thereof without money, or have ^vcaused ¹⁵the owners thereof to lose their life:

u Ja. 5.4. v 1Ki. 21.13.

40Let ^wthistles grow instead of wheat, and ^16*cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

w Ge. 3.18. Is. 7.23. Zep. 2.9.