| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? | 1I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I look at a young woman? |
| 2For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? | 2For what portion would I have from God above, or what inheritance from the Almighty on high? |
| 3Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? | 3Doesn't disaster come to the unjust and misfortune to evildoers? |
| 4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? | 4Does He not see my ways and number all my steps? |
| 5If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; | 5If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit, |
| 6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. | 6let God weigh me in accurate scales, and He will recognize my 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; | 7If my step has turned from the way, my heart has followed my eyes, or impurity has stained my hands, |
| 8Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out. | 8let someone else eat what I have sown, and let my crops be uprooted. |
| 9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door; | 9If my heart has been seduced by my neighbor's wife or I have lurked at his door, |
| 10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. | 10let my own wife grind grain for another man, and let other men sleep with her. |
| 11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. | 11For that would be a disgrace; it would be a crime deserving punishment. |
| 12For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase. | 12For it is a fire that consumes down to Abaddon; it would destroy my entire harvest. |
| 13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; | 13If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants when they made a complaint against me, |
| 14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? | 14what could I do when God stands up to judge? How should I answer Him when He calls me to account? |
| 15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb? | 15Did not the One who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same God form us both in the womb? |
| 16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; | 16If I have refused the wishes of the poor or let the widow's eyes go blind, |
| 17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; | 17if I have eaten my few crumbs alone without letting the fatherless eat any of it-- |
| 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;) | 18for from my youth, I raised him as his father, and since the day I was born I guided the widow-- |
| 19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; | 19if I have seen anyone dying for lack of clothing or a needy person without a cloak, |
| 20If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; | 20if he did not bless me while warming himself with the fleece from my sheep, |
| 21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: | 21if I ever cast my vote against a fatherless child when I saw that I had support in the city gate, |
| 22Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. | 22then let my shoulder blade fall from my back, and my arm be pulled from its socket. |
| 23For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. | 23For disaster from God terrifies me, and because of His majesty I could not do these things. |
| 24If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; | 24If I placed my confidence in gold or called fine gold my trust, |
| 25If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; | 25if I have rejoiced because my wealth is great or because my own hand has acquired so much, |
| 26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; | 26if I have gazed at the sun when it was shining or at the moon moving in splendor, |
| 27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: | 27so that my heart was secretly enticed and I threw them a kiss, |
| 28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. | 28this would also be a crime deserving punishment, for I would have denied God above. |
| 29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: | 29Have I rejoiced over my enemy's distress, or become excited when trouble came his way? |
| 30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. | 30I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse. |
| 31If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied. | 31Haven't the members of my household said, "Who is there who has not had enough to eat at Job's table?" |
| 32The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller. | 32No stranger had to spend the night on the street, for I opened my door to the traveler. |
| 33If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: | 33Have I covered my transgressions as others do by hiding my guilt in my heart, |
| 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? | 34because I greatly feared the crowds, and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so I grew silent and would not go outside? |
| 35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. | 35If only I had someone to hear my case! Here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me. Let my Opponent compose His indictment. |
| 36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. | 36I would surely carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown. |
| 37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. | 37I would give Him an account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince. |
| 38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; | 38If my land cries out against me and its furrows join in weeping, |
| 39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: | 39if I have consumed its produce without payment or shown contempt for its tenants, |
| 40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. | 40then let thorns grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley. The words of Job are concluded. |
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