Love Your Neighbor

^[1] “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. ^[2] For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high? ^[3] Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? ^[4] Does he not see my ways and count my every step? ^[5] “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit- ^[6] let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless- ^[7] if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, ^[8] then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. ^[9] “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, ^[10] then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. ^[11] For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. ^[12] It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest. ^[13] “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, ^[14] what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? ^[15] Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? ^[16] “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, ^[17] if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless- ^[18] but from my youth I reared them as a father would, and from my birth I guided the widow- ^[19] if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments, ^[20] and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep, ^[21] if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, ^[22] then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. ^[23] For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things. ^[24] “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ ^[25] if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, ^[26] if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, ^[27] so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, ^[28] then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high. ^[29] “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him- ^[30] I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life- ^[31] if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’- ^[32] but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler- ^[33] if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart ^[34] because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside- ^[35] (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense-let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. ^[36] Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. ^[37] I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him as to a ruler.)- ^[38] “if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears, ^[39] if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, ^[40] then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.