Job 31: The Oath of a Clear Conscience
Job makes his final defense, swearing a great oath of integrity over his eyes, his dealings, his servants, the poor, his wealth, and his hidden heart.
Job 31 (WEB)
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4 Doesn’t he see my ways, and number all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
7 if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
8 then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
12 For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
13 “If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me;
14 What then shall I do when God rises up? When he visits, what shall I answer him?
15 Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, her have I guided from my mother’s womb);
19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20 if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,
22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because his majesty, I can do nothing.
24 “If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have denied the God who is above.
29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;
30 (yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
31 if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
32 (the foreigner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—
35 oh that I had one to hear me! (behold, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me); let the accuser write my indictment!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; and I would bind it to me as a crown.
37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. as a prince would I go near to him.
38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
40 let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
Job 31 (KJV)
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.
7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;
10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
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;)
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;
20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Job 31 (ASV)
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin?
2 For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he see my ways, And number all my steps?
5 If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit
6 (Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity);
7 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:
8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;
10 Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her.
11 For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
12 For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase.
13 If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;
14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 If I have withheld the poor fromtheirdesire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof
18 (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;
20 If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate:
22 Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.
24 If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, Thou artmy confidence;
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;
26 If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,
27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above.
29 If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him
30 (Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);
31 If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?
32 (The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);
33 If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—
35 Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me) Andthat I hadthe indictment which mine adversary hath written!
36 Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown:
37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.
38 If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together;
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Summary
Job concludes his speeches with a sweeping oath of innocence, calling down curses on himself if he is guilty of the sins he names. He begins with his eyes, declaring he made a covenant not to look lustfully, knowing that God sees his ways and numbers his steps. He swears he has not walked in falsehood or deceit, not been enticed to adultery, not despised the cause of his male or female servant, remembering that the same God formed both master and slave in the womb. He protests that he has not withheld from the poor, the widow, or the fatherless, nor eaten his morsel alone, nor lifted his hand against the helpless. He has not made gold his confidence, nor secretly worshiped the sun or moon, nor rejoiced at an enemy's ruin, nor hidden his sin like Adam out of fear of the crowd. He longs intensely for someone to hear him and for the Almighty to answer, ready to carry his indictment on his shoulder like a crown. Finally he swears about his land, that he has not eaten its fruit unjustly or wronged its workers. With this, the text declares plainly, “The words of Job are ended.” It is the portrait of a tender, examined conscience, exposing how high God's standard reaches into the heart, even as it cannot finally vindicate a sinner before God.
Voices
- Job — The man of integrity who swears a solemn oath of innocence and longs for God to answer his case.
- God the Almighty — The One who sees Job's ways, numbers his steps, and whom Job summons to answer his appeal.
- The poor, servants, and the fatherless — Those Job appeals to as witnesses that he has dealt justly and mercifully with the vulnerable.
Key Verse
Job 31:6 (WEB)
(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
Lessons Learned
- True integrity reaches inward, governing the eyes and the secret thoughts, not merely outward behavior.
- Job's care for servants flows from knowing one God formed both master and slave in the womb.
- A clear conscience longs for, rather than hides from, the searching examination of God.
- Even the most blameless human integrity cannot finally answer the deeper question of standing before God.
- Holiness begins with the eyes and the heart. “I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully” (Job 31:1, WEB); Job knew that purity is first an inward, hidden matter before God.
- All people share one Maker. Job honored his servants because “didn't he who made me in the womb make him?” (Job 31:15, WEB). Common creation grounds human dignity and just treatment.
- A clean conscience welcomes God's scales. Job pleads, “let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity” (Job 31:6, WEB), inviting rather than dreading divine scrutiny.
- Human righteousness still needs a Mediator. Job longs for someone to hear and answer his cause (Job 31:35, WEB); his integrity cannot reconcile him to God, pointing forward to the Advocate who can.
- Why does Job begin his defense with his eyes and his thoughts rather than his outward deeds?
- How does Job's treatment of his servants reflect his theology of creation?
- What does Job's longing to be weighed “in an even balance” reveal about his conscience?
- Job refuses to hide his sin “like Adam” (31:33). What does this tell us about honesty and the fear of the crowd?
- Which area of Job's oath, the eyes, money, the poor, or the secret heart, most searches your own conscience, and why?
- Job knows that sin is first a matter of the heart and the gaze, before it becomes action (31:1, 7). By starting inward, he shows an integrity that goes deeper than reputation, anticipating Jesus' teaching that lust and hatred begin within.
- Job treated servants justly because the same God formed both of them in the womb (31:13-15). His ethics rest on shared creation and equal dignity before God, a remarkably high view for his time.
- Job does not fear examination; he begs for it, confident his integrity will stand (31:6). This is the cry of a clean conscience, though the book will show that even Job must finally bow before God's greatness.
- Job admits the temptation to cover sin out of fear of the multitude, yet insists he did not (31:33-34). Honesty before God outweighs the approval of the crowd; secret sin festers, but confessed sin is healed.
- This is a personal-application question. Let members reflect quietly on which clause exposes them most, whether the eyes, possessions, care for the poor, or hidden motives. As leader, point gently toward Christ, in whom imperfect consciences find both cleansing and an Advocate.