Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears, New Living Translation “If my land accuses me and all its furrows cry out together, English Standard Version “If my land has cried out against me and its furrows have wept together, Berean Standard Bible if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together, King James Bible If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; New King James Version “If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together; New American Standard Bible “If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together; NASB 1995 “If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together; NASB 1977 “If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together; Legacy Standard Bible “If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together, Amplified Bible “For if my land has cried out against me, And its furrows weep together; Christian Standard Bible If my land cries out against me and its furrows join in weeping, Holman Christian Standard Bible If my land cries out against me and its furrows join in weeping, American Standard Version If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together; Contemporary English Version I have never mistreated the land I farmed and made it mourn. English Revised Version If my land cry out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together; GOD'S WORD® Translation "If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept.... Good News Translation If I have stolen the land I farm and taken it from its rightful owners-- International Standard Version "If my land were to cry out against me or if all its furrows wept as one, NET Bible "If my land cried out against me and all its furrows wept together, New Heart English Bible If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together; Webster's Bible Translation If my land crieth against me, or its furrows likewise complain; Majority Text Translations Majority Standard Bibleif my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together, World English Bible If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together; Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIf my land cries out against me, "" And together its furrows weep, Young's Literal Translation If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep, Smith's Literal Translation If my land shall cry against me, and its, furrows shall weep together; Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIf my land cry against me, and with it the furrows thereof mourn: Catholic Public Domain Version So, if my land cries out against me, and if its furrows weep with it, New American Bible If my land has cried out against me till its furrows wept together; New Revised Standard Version “If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept together; Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleLet the earth lament over me, let its furrows weep together, Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And the Earth will wail over me and its furrows will weep as one OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917If my land cry out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together; Brenton Septuagint Translation If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together; Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Job's Final Appeal…37I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)— 38if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together, 39if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,… Cross References Genesis 4:10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Deuteronomy 27:17 ‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary stone.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Isaiah 5:8 Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land. Jeremiah 22:13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages, Habakkuk 2:9-12 Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! / You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. / For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork. ... James 5:4 Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. Leviticus 19:13 You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand. Proverbs 22:28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed. Micah 2:2 They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance. Amos 8:4-6 Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land, / asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales. / Let us buy the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the chaff with the wheat!” Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Luke 16:10-12 Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. / So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? / And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own? Romans 13:8-10 Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. / The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” / Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 1 Corinthians 6:8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers! Colossians 3:25 Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Treasury of Scripture If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; cry Job 20:27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him. Habakkuk 2:11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. James 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. complain. Psalm 65:13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing. Jump to Previous Complain Cried Cries Crieth Cry Earth Furrows Likewise Outcry Ploughed Sorrow Tears Thereof Together Weep Wept WetJump to Next Complain Cried Cries Crieth Cry Earth Furrows Likewise Outcry Ploughed Sorrow Tears Thereof Together Weep Wept WetJob 31 1. Job makes a solemn protestation of his integrity in several dutiesif my land cries out against me This phrase suggests a deep connection between the land and its owner, reflecting the ancient belief that the land could bear witness to human actions. In the Old Testament, the land is often personified and seen as having a relationship with its inhabitants (Genesis 4:10, where Abel's blood cries out from the ground). The idea of the land crying out implies a moral or ethical breach, possibly related to injustice or mistreatment. In the context of Job, this reflects his integrity and righteousness, as he is willing to be judged by the very ground he has worked. This concept is also seen in Leviticus 18:25, where the land is said to "vomit out" its inhabitants due to their sins. and its furrows weep together Persons / Places / Events 1. JobThe central figure in the Book of Job, a man described as blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. In this chapter, Job is making his final defense, asserting his integrity and righteousness. 2. Land Represents Job's property and livelihood. In ancient times, land was a significant part of one's wealth and sustenance, and it was believed to have a voice in matters of justice and righteousness. 3. Furrows The trenches made in the soil by a plow. They symbolize the productivity and fruitfulness of the land, as well as the labor invested in it. 4. Cry/Weep These terms are personifications of the land and its furrows, suggesting that they could testify against Job if he had wronged them. 5. God The ultimate judge to whom Job is appealing, asserting that he has not committed any injustice that would cause his land to cry out against him. Teaching Points Stewardship of CreationAs stewards of God's creation, we are responsible for treating the land and environment with respect and justice. Job's assertion that his land does not cry out against him challenges us to consider how we care for the earth. Integrity in All Areas of Life Job's defense of his integrity extends to how he manages his property. This teaches us that righteousness should permeate every aspect of our lives, including our business dealings and environmental practices. The Witness of Creation The idea that the land can testify against us serves as a reminder that our actions have consequences beyond what we might immediately see. We should live in a way that even the earth would testify to our righteousness. Accountability Before God Ultimately, we are accountable to God for how we live and manage the resources He has entrusted to us. Job's appeal to God as his judge encourages us to live with an awareness of divine accountability. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Job 31What is the order of the Bible's books? In Job 31:1–4, how can Job claim such purity given other scriptures teach no one is entirely sinless? How does the promise of safety in Isaiah 33:16 align with observable instances of righteous people facing disaster historically? How does Job 38:31's mention of binding the constellations (Pleiades and Orion) fit with what we know about astronomy?(38) Or that the furrows likewise thereof complain.--Rather, Or if the furrows thereof weep together--a strong impersonation to express the consequence of oppression and wrong-doing. It is to be observed that throughout this defence Job has far more than traversed the indictment of his friends. He has shown that he has not only not broken the moral law, as they insinuated, but, much more, has shown himself exemplary in all the relations of life, so that, according to the narrator of the history, he was not only one that feared God and eschewed evil (Job 1:1), but also was perfect, i.e., of sincere and consistent conduct and upright. Verses 38-40. - It is generally supposed that these verses, with the exception of the last clause of ver. 40, are misplaced. As a termination, they form an anti-climax, and greatly weaken the peroration. Their proper place would seem to be between vers. 32 and 33. Verse 38. - If my land cry against me; i.e. if my land disclaim my ownership, as having been acquired by wrong or robbery. If the furrows likewise thereof complain; or, weep, as having been torn from their rightful proprietors, and seized by a stranger. The apodosis is in ver. 40. |
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