Job 31:1-40 ERV

[1] "I made an agreement with my eyes not to look at a young woman in a way that would make me want her. [2] What does God above have for us? How does God All-Powerful repay people from his home high in heaven? [3] He sends trouble to the wicked and disaster to those who do wrong. [4] God is the one who knows what I do and sees every step I take. [5] "I have not lied to anyone. I never tried to cheat people. [6] If God would use accurate scales, he would know that I am innocent. [7] If I ever stepped off the right path, if my eyes led my heart to do evil, or if my hands are dirty with sin, [8] then let others eat what I planted. Let my crops be pulled up by the roots. [9] "If I have desired another woman or waited at my neighbor's door to sin with his wife, [10] then let my wife serve someone else, and let other men sleep with her. [11] To do such a thing would be shameful, a sin that must be punished. [12] Such sin is like a fire that burns until it destroys everything. It would completely ruin my life's work. [13] "If I refused to be fair to my slaves when they had a complaint against me, [14] then what will I do when I must face God? What will I say when he asks me to explain what I did? [15] The one who made me in my mother's womb also made them. God shaped us all inside our mothers. [16] "I have never refused to help the poor. I always gave widows what they needed. [17] I have never been selfish with my food. I shared what I had with orphans. [18] All my life I have been like a father to orphans and have taken care of widows. [19] Whenever I found people suffering because they didn't have clothes or saw a poor man with no coat, [20] I always gave them something to wear. I used the wool from my own sheep to make them warm. And they thanked me with all their heart. [21] I never threatened an orphan, even when I knew I had support in court. [22] If I ever did that, may my arm be pulled from its socket and fall from my shoulder! [23] But I didn't do any of these bad things. I fear God's punishment too much. His majesty scares me. [24] "I have never trusted in riches. I never said even to pure gold, 'You are my hope.' [25] I have been wealthy, but that didn't make me proud. I earned a lot of money, but that is not what made me happy. [26] I have never worshiped the bright sun or the beautiful moon. [27] I was never foolish enough to worship the sun and the moon. [28] This is also a sin that must be punished. If I had worshiped them, I would have been unfaithful to God All-Powerful. [29] "I have never been happy when my enemies were destroyed. I have never laughed at my enemies when bad things happened to them. [30] I have never let my mouth sin by cursing my enemies and wishing for them to die. [31] The people in my house know that I have never let anyone go hungry. [32] I always invited strangers into my home so that they would not have to sleep in the streets. [33] I have not tried to hide my sins as some people do. I have never hidden my guilt. [34] I was never so afraid of what people might say or of making enemies that I kept my sins secret and avoided going out. [35] "How I wish someone would listen to me! I will sign my name to all I have said. Now let God All-Powerful answer me. Let him make a list of what he thinks I did wrong. [36] I would wear it around my neck. I would put it on my head like a crown. [37] Then I could explain everything I have done. I could come to God with my head held high like a prince. [38] "I did not use my land in a wrong way. I never caused it to suffer. [39] I always paid the workers for the food I got from the land. I never let any of them starve. [40] If I ever did any of these bad things, let thorns and weeds grow in my fields instead of wheat and barley!" Job's words are finished.