Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Job 31:30

I have never let my mouth sin by cursing my enemies and wishing for them to die.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Enemy;   Integrity;   Malice;   Temptation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Enemies;   Hatred;   Malice;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Curse;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Wish;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have not allowed my mouth to sinby asking for his life with a curse.
Hebrew Names Version
(Yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);
King James Version
Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
English Standard Version
(I have not let my mouth sin by asking for his life with a curse),
New Century Version
I have not let my mouth sin by cursing my enemies' life.
New English Translation
I have not even permitted my mouth to sin by asking for his life through a curse—
Amplified Bible
"No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By cursing my enemy and asking for his life.
New American Standard Bible
"No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse.
World English Bible
(Yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);
Geneva Bible (1587)
Neither haue I suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse vnto his soule.
Legacy Standard Bible
But I have not given over my mouth to sinBy asking for his life in a curse—
Berean Standard Bible
I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse-
Contemporary English Version
Neither have I sinned by asking God to send down on them the curse of death.
Complete Jewish Bible
No, I did not allow my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.
Darby Translation
(Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse;)
George Lamsa Translation
(But I have neither suffered my mouth to sin, nor has my soul wished for any of these things;
Good News Translation
I never sinned by praying for their death.
Lexham English Bible
no, I have not allowed my mouth to sin, to ask his life with a curse.
Literal Translation
also I have not given my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I neuer suffred my mouth to do soch a sinne, as to wysh him euell.
American Standard Version
(Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);
Bible in Basic English
(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;)
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse.
King James Version (1611)
(Neither haue I suffered my mouth to sinne by wishing a curse to his soule.)
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I neuer suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse to his soule.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.
English Revised Version
(Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse;)
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;
Update Bible Version
(Yes, I haven't allowed my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);
Webster's Bible Translation
Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
New King James Version
(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for a curse on his soul);
New Living Translation
No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge.
New Life Bible
No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life to be cursed.
New Revised Standard
I have not let my mouth sin by asking for their lives with a curse—
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
Douay-Rheims Bible
For I have not given my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse to his soul.
Revised Standard Version
(I have not let my mouth sin by asking for his life with a curse);
Young's Literal Translation
Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse.

Contextual Overview

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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

have: Exodus 23:4, Exodus 23:5, Matthew 5:43, Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:14, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 Peter 2:23, 1 Peter 3:9

mouth: Heb. palate, Ecclesiastes 5:2, Ecclesiastes 5:6, Matthew 5:22, Matthew 12:36, James 3:6, James 3:9, James 3:10

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 24:6 - the Lord forbid 2 Samuel 16:9 - let me go Job 33:2 - mouth Job 34:3 - mouth

Cross-References

Genesis 31:1
One day Jacob heard Laban's sons talking. They said, "Jacob has taken everything that our father owned. He has become rich—and he has taken all this wealth from our father."
Genesis 31:2
Then Jacob noticed that Laban was not as friendly as he had been in the past.
Genesis 31:6
You both know that I have worked as hard as I could for your father.
Genesis 31:19
While Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep, Rachel went into his house and stole the false gods that belonged to her father.
Exodus 12:12
"Tonight I will go through Egypt and kill every firstborn man and animal in Egypt. In this way I will judge all the gods of Egypt and show that I am the Lord .
Numbers 33:4
The Egyptians were burying all the people the Lord killed. They were burying all their firstborn sons. The Lord had shown his judgment against the gods of Egypt.
Judges 6:31
Then Joash spoke to the crowd that was standing around him. Joash said, "Are you going to take Baal's side? Are you going to rescue Baal? If anyone takes Baal's side, let him be put to death by morning. If Baal really is a god, let him defend himself when someone pulls down his altar."
Judges 18:24
Micah answered, "You men from Dan took my idols. I made them for myself. You have also taken my priest. What do I have left now? How can you ask me, ‘What's the problem?'"
2 Samuel 5:21
The Philistines left the statues of their gods behind at Baal Perazim. David and his men took them away.
Isaiah 37:19
They did throw the gods of those nations into the fire, but they were not real gods. They were only wood and stone—statues that people made. That is why the kings of Assyria could destroy them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin,.... Which, as it is the instrument of speech, is often the means of much sin; particularly of cursing men, and expressing much bitterness against enemies; but Job laid an embargo upon it, kept it as with a bridle, restrained it from uttering any evil, or wishing any to his worst adversaries; which is difficult to do, when provocations are given, as follows:

by wishing a curse to his soul; not to his soul as distinct from his body, being the superior excellency and immortal part; that it be everlastingly damned, as wicked men wish to their own souls, and the souls of others, but to his person, wishing some calamity might befall him, some disease seize upon him, or that God would take him away by death: Job would never suffer himself to wish anything of this kind unto his enemy.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither have I suffered my mouth - Margin, as in Hebrew, palate. The word is often used for the mouth in general, and especially as the organ of the voice from the use and importance of the palate in speaking. Proverbs 8:7. “For my palate (חכי chikiy) speaketh truth.” It is used as the organ of taste, Job 12:11; compare Job 6:30; Psalms 119:103.

By wishing a curse to his soul - It must have been an extraordinary degree of piety which would permit a man to say this with truth, that he had never harbored a wish of injury to an enemy. Few are the people, probably, even now, who could say this, and who are enabled to keep their minds free from every wish that calamities and woes may overtake those who are seeking their hurt. Yet this is the nature of true religion. It controls the heart, represses the angry and revengeful feelings, and creates in the soul an earnest desire for the happiness even of those who injure us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 31:30. Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin — I have neither spoken evil of him, nor wished evil to him. How few of those called Christians can speak thus concerning their enemies; or those who have done them any mischief!


 
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