Lectionary Calendar
Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Job 31:11

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Integrity;   Lust;   Temptation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Punishments;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Sheol;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crime;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Adultery;   Crime;   Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   Text of the Old Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For that would be a disgrace;it would be an iniquity deserving punishment.
Hebrew Names Version
For that would be a heinous crime; Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
King James Version
For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
English Standard Version
For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
New Century Version
That would be shameful, a sin to be punished.
New English Translation
For I would have committed a shameful act, an iniquity to be judged.
Amplified Bible
"For adultery is a heinous and lustful crime; Moreover, it would be a sin punishable by the judges.
New American Standard Bible
"For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be wrongdoing punishable by judges.
World English Bible
For that would be a heinous crime; Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
Geneva Bible (1587)
For this is a wickednes, and iniquitie to bee condemned:
Legacy Standard Bible
For that would be lewdness;Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.
Berean Standard Bible
For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
Contemporary English Version
If I took someone's wife, it would be a horrible crime,
Complete Jewish Bible
For that would be a heinous act, a criminal offense,
Darby Translation
For this is an infamy; yea, it is an iniquity [to be judged by] the judges:
Easy-to-Read Version
To do such a thing would be shameful, a sin that must be punished.
George Lamsa Translation
For this is a heinous crime; yea, such an eye devises a crafty scheme.
Good News Translation
Such wickedness should be punished by death.
Lexham English Bible
for that is a shameful act, and that is a criminal offense.
Literal Translation
For that would be an evil scheme, and is iniquity for judges.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For this is a wickednesse and synne, that is worthy to be punyshed,
American Standard Version
For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
Bible in Basic English
For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For that were a heinous crime; yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
King James Version (1611)
For this is an heinous crime, yea, it is an iniquitie to bee punished by the Iudges.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For this is a wickednesse, and sinne that is worthy to be punished:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, in the case of defiling another man’s wife.
English Revised Version
For that were an heinous crime; yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.
Update Bible Version
For that were a heinous crime; Yes, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
Webster's Bible Translation
For this [is] a hainous crime; yea, it [is] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges.
New King James Version
For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
New Living Translation
For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished.
New Life Bible
For that would be a very sinful thing to do. It would be a sin that would be punished by the judges.
New Revised Standard
For that would be a heinous crime; that would be a criminal offense;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
Douay-Rheims Bible
For this is a heinous crime, and a most grievous iniquity.
Revised Standard Version
For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
Young's Literal Translation
For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.

Contextual Overview

9"If I've let myself be seduced by a woman and conspired to go to bed with her, Fine, my wife has every right to go ahead and sleep with anyone she wants to. For disgusting behavior like that, I'd deserve the worst punishment you could hand out. Adultery is a fire that burns the house down; I wouldn't expect anything I count dear to survive it. 13"Have I ever been unfair to my employees when they brought a complaint to me? What, then, will I do when God confronts me? When God examines my books, what can I say? Didn't the same God who made me, make them? Aren't we all made of the same stuff, equals before God?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an heinous: Genesis 20:9, Genesis 26:10, Genesis 39:9, Exodus 20:14, Proverbs 6:29-33

an iniquity: Job 31:28, Genesis 38:24, Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22-24, Ezekiel 16:38

Reciprocal: Isaiah 9:18 - wickedness

Cross-References

Genesis 18:1
God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them.
Genesis 18:17
Then God said, "Shall I keep back from Abraham what I'm about to do? Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God 's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him."
Genesis 22:1
After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!" "Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening."
Exodus 3:4
God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He said, "Yes? I'm right here!"
1 Samuel 3:4
Then God called out, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Yes? I'm here." Then he ran to Eli saying, "I heard you call. Here I am." Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." And so he did.
1 Samuel 3:6
God called again, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, "I heard you call. Here I am." Again Eli said, "Son, I didn't call you. Go back to bed." (This all happened before Samuel knew God for himself. It was before the revelation of God had been given to him personally.)
1 Samuel 3:8
God called again, "Samuel!"—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, "Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am." That's when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, "Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God . I'm your servant, ready to listen.'" Samuel returned to his bed.
1 Samuel 3:16
But then Eli summoned Samuel: "Samuel, my son!" Samuel came running: "Yes? What can I do for you?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For this [is] an heinous crime,.... Adultery; it is contrary to the light of nature, and is condemned by it as a great sin,

Genesis 20:9; as well as contrary to the express will and law of God, Exodus 20:14; and, though all sin is a transgression of the law of God, and deserving of death; yet there are some sins greater and more heinous than others, being attended with aggravating circumstances; and such is this sin, it is a breach of the marriage contract and covenant between man and wife; it is doing injury to a man's property, and to that which is the nearest and dearest to him, and is what introduces confusion into families, kingdoms, and states; and therefore it follows:

yea, it [is] an iniquity [to he punished by] the judges; who might take cognizance of it, examine into it, and pass sentence for it, and execute it; and, if they neglect do their duty, God, the Judge of all the earth, will punish for it in the world to come, unless repented of: "for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge", Hebrews 13:4; the punishment of adultery was death by the law of God, and that by stoning, as appears from Leviticus 20:10; and it is remarkable, that the Heathens, who were ignorant of this law, enjoined the same punishment for it; so Homer e introduces Hector reproving Paris for this sin, and suggests to him, that if he had his deserved punishment, he would have been clothed with a "stone coat", as he beautifully expresses it; which Suidas f explains, by being overwhelmed with stones, or stoned; as Eustathius g.

e Iliad. 3. v. 57. f In voce λαινον. g In Homer. ibid.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For this is an heinous crime - This expresses Job’s sense of the enormity of such an offence. He felt that there was no palliation for it; he would in no way, and on no pretence, attempt to vindicate it.

An iniquity to be punished by the judges - A crime for the judges to determine on and decide. The sins which Job had specified before this, were those of the heart; but here he refers to a crime against society - an offence which deserved the interposition of the magistrate. It may be observed here, that adultery has always been regarded as a sin “to be punished by the judges.” In most countries it has been punished with death; see the notes at John 8:5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 31:11. For this is a heinous crime — Mr. Good translates,

"For this would be a premeditated crime,

And a profligacy of the understanding."


See also Job 31:28.

That is, It would not only be a sin against the individuals more particularly concerned, but a sin of the first magnitude against society; and one of which the civil magistrate should take particular cognizance, and punish as justice requires.


 
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