Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, August 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Job 31:29

"Did I ever crow over my enemy's ruin? Or gloat over my rival's bad luck? No, I never said a word of detraction, never cursed them, even under my breath.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Enemy;   Integrity;   Malice;   Temptation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Duty;   Enemies;   Joy-Sorrow;   Love;   Rejoicing;   Social Duties;   Social Life;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Enemies;   Hatred;   Malice;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Hating, Hatred;   Old Testament (I. Christ as Fulfilment of);  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hatred;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Have I rejoiced over my enemy’s distress,or become excited when trouble came his way?
Hebrew Names Version
"If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;
King James Version
If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
English Standard Version
"If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him
New Century Version
"I have not been happy when my enemies fell or laughed when they had trouble.
New English Translation
If I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy or exulted because calamity found him—
Amplified Bible
"Have I rejoiced at the destruction of the enemy [who hated me], Or exulted [in malicious triumph] when evil overtook him?
New American Standard Bible
"Have I rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy, Or become excited when evil found him?
World English Bible
"If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;
Geneva Bible (1587)
If I reioyced at his destruction that hated me, or was mooued to ioye when euill came vpon him,
Legacy Standard Bible
"If I have been glad at the upheaval of the one who hated me,Or exulted when evil found him—
Berean Standard Bible
If I have rejoiced in my enemy's ruin, or exulted when evil befell him-
Contemporary English Version
I have never laughed when my enemies were struck by disaster.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Did I rejoice at the destruction of him who hated me? Was I filled with glee when disaster overtook him?
Darby Translation
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, and exulted when evil befell him;
Easy-to-Read Version
"I have never been happy when my enemies were destroyed. I have never laughed at my enemies when bad things happened to them.
George Lamsa Translation
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or exulted myself when misfortune befell him;
Good News Translation
I have never been glad when my enemies suffered, or pleased when they met with disaster;
Lexham English Bible
"If I have rejoiced at the ruin of the one who hated me or have exulted when evil overtook him—
Literal Translation
If I rejoiced at the ruin of one hating me, and I was excited when evil found him;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Haue I euer reioysed at the hurte of myne enemy? Or, was I euer glad, yt eny harme happened vnto him? Oh no,
American Standard Version
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him
Bible in Basic English
If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or exulted when evil found him--
King James Version (1611)
If I reioyced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lift vp my selfe when euill found him:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Haue I euer reioyced at the hurt of myne enemie? or was I euer glad that any harme happened vnto him? [Oh, no.]
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!
English Revised Version
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym;
Update Bible Version
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;
Webster's Bible Translation
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or have lifted up myself when evil found him:
New King James Version
"If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, Or lifted myself up when evil found him
New Living Translation
"Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way?
New Life Bible
"Have I been glad when a person who hated me was destroyed? Have I been filled with joy when trouble came to him?
New Revised Standard
"If I have rejoiced at the ruin of those who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook them—
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; -
Douay-Rheims Bible
If I have been glad at the downfall of him that hated me, and have rejoiced that evil had found him.
Revised Standard Version
"If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him that hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him
Young's Literal Translation
If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, Or exulted when evil befell him?

Contextual Overview

24"Did I set my heart on making big money or worship at the bank? Did I boast about my wealth, show off because I was well-off? Was I ever so awed by the sun's brilliance and moved by the moon's beauty That I let myself become seduced by them and worshiped them on the sly? If so, I would deserve the worst of punishments, for I would be betraying God himself. 29"Did I ever crow over my enemy's ruin? Or gloat over my rival's bad luck? No, I never said a word of detraction, never cursed them, even under my breath. 31"Didn't those who worked for me say, ‘He fed us well. There were always second helpings'? And no stranger ever had to spend a night in the street; my doors were always open to travelers. Did I hide my sin the way Adam did, or conceal my guilt behind closed doors Because I was afraid what people would say, fearing the gossip of the neighbors so much That I turned myself into a recluse? You know good and well that I didn't.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Samuel 1:12, 2 Samuel 4:10, 2 Samuel 4:11, 2 Samuel 16:5-8, Psalms 35:13, Psalms 35:14, Psalms 35:25, Psalms 35:26, Proverbs 17:5, Proverbs 24:17, Proverbs 24:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:34 - come on Exodus 23:4 - General 1 Samuel 24:6 - the Lord forbid Job 20:18 - and he shall Psalms 35:15 - in mine Isaiah 33:15 - stoppeth Amos 6:13 - which Obadiah 1:12 - rejoiced Micah 7:8 - Rejoice Matthew 5:39 - That Luke 6:27 - Love Luke 9:55 - and rebuked Romans 12:14 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 28:13
Then God was right before him, saying, "I am God , the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I'm giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they'll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I'll stay with you, I'll protect you wherever you go, and I'll bring you back to this very ground. I'll stick with you until I've done everything I promised you."
Genesis 31:3
That's when God said to Jacob, "Go back home where you were born. I'll go with you."
Genesis 31:10
"Once, while the flocks were mating, I had a dream and saw the billy goats, all of them streaked, speckled, and mottled, mounting their mates. In the dream an angel of God called out to me, ‘Jacob!' "I said, ‘Yes?'
Genesis 31:38
"In the twenty years I've worked for you, ewes and she-goats never miscarried. I never feasted on the rams from your flock. I never brought you a torn carcass killed by wild animals but that I paid for it out of my own pocket—actually, you made me pay whether it was my fault or not. I was out in all kinds of weather, from torrid heat to freezing cold, putting in many a sleepless night. For twenty years I've done this: I slaved away fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flock and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not stuck with me, you would have sent me off penniless. But God saw the fix I was in and how hard I had worked and last night rendered his verdict."
Psalms 52:1
A David Psalm, When Doeg the Edomite Reported to Saul, "David's at Ahimelech's House" Why do you brag of evil, "Big Man"? God's mercy carries the day. You scheme catastrophe; your tongue cuts razor-sharp, artisan in lies. You love evil more than good, you call black white. You love malicious gossip, you foul-mouth.
Daniel 3:28
Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king's orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.
Acts 9:5
He said, "Who are you, Master?" "I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,.... Job, though a good man, had his enemies, as all good men have, and that because of their goodness, and who hated him with an implacable hatred, without a cause, there being a rooted bitter enmity in the seed of the serpent against the godly in all generations; on whom sooner or later, at one time or another, destruction comes, one calamity or another on their families, diseases on their bodies, loss of substance, death of themselves or relatives; now it is a common thing with wicked men to rejoice in the adversity of their enemies, but good men should not do so; yet it is a difficult thing, and requires a large measure of grace, and that in exercise, not to feel any pleasing emotion, a secret joy and inward pleasure, at the hearing of anything of this sort befalling an enemy; which is a new crime Job purges himself from:

or lifted up myself when evil found him; either the evil of sin, which sooner or later finds out the sinner, charges him with guilt, and requires punishment, or the evil of punishment for sin; which, though it may seem to move slowly, pursues the sinner, and will overtake him, and light upon him. Mr. Broughton renders the words, "and bestirred me when he found loss": loss in his family, in his cattle, and in his substance; now, when this was the case, Job did not raise up himself in a haughty manner, and insult and triumph over him, or stir up himself to joy and rejoicing, or to make joyful motions, as Aben Ezra and Ben Gersom interpret it; and by his gestures show that he was elated with the evil that had befallen his enemy; indeed so far as the fall and destruction of the wicked make for the public good, for the interest of religion, for the glory of God, and the honour of his justice, it is lawful for good men to rejoice thereat; but not from a private affection, or from a private spirit of revenge, see Psalms 58:10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me - Job here introduces another class of offences, of which he says he was innocent. The subject referred to is the proper treatment of those who injure us. In respect to this, he says that he was entirely conscious of freedom from exultation when calamity came upon a foe, and that he had never even wished him evil in his heart. The word “destruction” here, means calamity, disappointment, or affliction of any kind. It had never been pleasant to him to see one who hated him suffer. It is needless to remark how entirely this accords with the New Testament. And it is pleasant to find such a sentiment as this expressed in the early age of the world, and to see how the influence of true religion is at all times the same. The religion of Job led him to act out the beautiful sentiment afterward embodied in the instructions of the Savior, and made binding on all his followers; Matthew 5:44. True religion will lead a man to act out what is embodied in its precepts, whether they are expressed in formal language or not.

Or lifted up myself - Been elated or rejoiced.

When evil found him - When calamity overtook him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 31:29. If I rejoiced — I did not avenge myself on my enemy; and I neither bore malice nor hatred to him.


 
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