rd

Job 31

1 Job reciteth the innocencie of his living, and nomber of his vertues, which declareth what oght to be the life of the faithful.
1.I made a covenant with mine aeyes: why then shulde I thinke on ba maid?
2.For what porcion shulde I have of God from above? and what inheritance of the Almightie from on hie?
3.Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishement to cthe workers of iniquitie?
4.Doeth not he beholde my wayes and tell all my steps?
5.If I have walked in vanitie, or if my fote hath made haste to deceit,
6.Let God weigh me in the juste balance, and he shal knowe mine duprightnes.
7.If my step hathe turned out of the way, or mine heart hathe ewalked after mine eye, or if anie blot hathe cleaved to mine hands,
8.Let me sowe, and let another feat: yea, let my plants be rooted out.
9.If mine heart hathe bene deceived by a woman, or if I have land wayte at the dore of my neighbour,
10.Let my wife ggrinde unto another man, and let other men bowe downe upon her.
11.For this is a wickednes, and iniquitie to be condemned.
12.Yea, this is a frye that shal devoure hto destruction, and which shal roote out all mine increase,
13.If I did contemne the judgement of my servant, and of my maid, when they idid contend with me.
14.What then shal I do when kGod standeth up? and when he shal visite me, what shal I answer?
15.He that hathe made me in the wombe, hathe he not made lhim? hathe not he alone facioned us in the wombe?
16.If I restrained the poore of their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widowe mto faile,
17.Or have eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherles hathe not eaten thereof,
18.(For from my youth he hathe growen up with me nas with a father, and from my mother’s wombe I have bene a guide unto her)
19.If I have sene anie perish for want of clothing, or any poore without covering,
20.If his loines have not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my shepe,
21.If I have lift oup mine hand against the fatherles, when I sawe that I might helpe him in the gate,
22.Let mine parme fall from my shulder, and mine arme be broken from the bone.
23.For God’s punishment was qfearful unto me, and I colde not be delivered from his highnes.
24.If I made golde mine hope, or have said to the wedge of golde, Thou art my confidence,
25.If I rejoyced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten muche,
26.If I did beholde the rsunne, when it shined, or the moone, walking in her brightenes,
27.If mine heart did flatter me in secret, or if my mouth did kisse mine shand,
28.(This also had bene an iniquitie to be condemned: for I had denyed the God tabove)
29.If I rejoyced at his destruction that hated me, or was moved to joye when evil came upon him,
30.Nether have I suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse unto his soule.
31.Did not the men of my utabernacle say, Who shal give us of his flesh? we can not be satisfied.
32.The stranger did not lodge in the strete, but I opened my Wisdome cometh of God. Job. 31 dores unto him, that went by the way.
33.If I have hid xmy sinne, as Adam, conceiling mine iniquitie in my bosom,
34.Thogh I colde have made afraied a great multitude, yet the most contemptible of the families did yfeare me: so I kept zsilence, and went not out of the dore.
35.Oh that I had some to heare me! beholde my asigne that the Almightie wil witnes for me: thogh mine adversarie shulde write a boke against me,
36.Wolde not I take it upon my shulder, and bind it as ba crowne unto me?
37.I wil tel him the nomber of my goings, and go unto him as to a cprince.
38.If my land dcrye against me, or the forrowes thereof complaine together,
39.If I have eaten the frutes thereof without silver: or if I have grieved ethe soules of the masters thereof,
40.Let thistles growe in stead of wheat, & cokle in the stead of barly. THE fWORDES OF JOB ARE ENDED

Notes

1-a.
I kept my eyes from all wanton looks.
1-b.
Would not God then have punished me?
3-c.
Job declares that the fear of God was a bridel to stay him from all wickedness.
6-d.
He shows wherein his uprightness stands: that is, inasmuch as he was blameless before men, and sinned not against the second table.
7-e.
That is, has accomplished the lust of my eye.
8-f.
According to the curse of the Law, Deut. 28.15,33. 2 Geneva Bible 1560
10-g.
Let her be made a slave.
12-h.
He shows that albeit man neglect the punishment of adultery, yet the wrath of God will never cease till such be destroyed.
13-i.
When they thought themselves evil intreated by me.
14-k.
If I had oppressed others, how should I have escaped God’s judgement?
15-l.
He was moved to show pity unto servants, because they were God’s creatures as he was.
16-m.
By long waiting for her request.
18-n.
He nourished the fatherless and maintained the widow’s cause.
21-o.
To oppress him and do him injury.
22-p.
Let me rot in pieces.
23-q.
I refrained not from sinning for fear of men, but because I feared God.
26-r.
If I was proud of my worldly prosperity and felicity, which is meant by the shining of the sun and brightness of the moon.
27-s.
If my own doings delighted me.
28-t.
By putting confidence in anything, but in him alone.
31-u.
My servants moved me to be revenged of my enemy, yet did I never wish him hurt. 1
33-x.
And not confessed it freely: whereby it is evident that he justified himself before men and not before God.
34-y.
That is, I reverenced the most weak and contemned and was afraid to offend them.
34-z.
I suffered them to speak evil of me and went not out of my house to revenge it.
35-a.
This is a sufficient token of my righteousness, that God is my witness and will justify my cause.
36-b.
Should not this book of his accusations be a praise & condem- nation to me?
37-c.
I will make him an account of all my life, without fear.
38-d.
As though I had withheld their wages that labour in it.
39-e.
Meaning, that he was no brider nor extortioner. f That is, the talk which he had with his three friends.