Job 31

“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;” The line’s distinctive content terms include deceit, foot, hasted. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine…” The line’s distinctive content terms include blot, cleaved, eyes. Its relationship to verses 6 and 8 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.” The line’s distinctive content terms include offspring, rooted. Its relationship to verses 7 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;” The line’s distinctive content terms include deceived, door, heart. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.” The line’s distinctive content terms include grind, others, wife. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.

“For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;” The line’s distinctive content terms include cause, contended, despise. Its relationship to verses 12 and 14 shows what work it does in this passage.

“What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;” The line’s distinctive content terms include caused, desire, eyes. Its relationship to verses 15 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;” The line’s distinctive content terms include eaten, fatherless, morsel. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.

“(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)” The line’s distinctive content terms include father, guided, mother’s. Its relationship to verses 17 and 19 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;” The line’s distinctive content terms include clothing, covering, perish. Its relationship to verses 18 and 20 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;” The line’s distinctive content terms include blessed, fleece, loins. Its relationship to verses 19 and 21 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:” The line’s distinctive content terms include fatherless, gate, hand. Its relationship to verses 20 and 22 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.” The line’s distinctive content terms include blade, bone, broken. Its relationship to verses 21 and 23 shows what work it does in this passage.

“For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;” The line’s distinctive content terms include gotten, hand, rejoiced. Its relationship to verses 26 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;” The line’s distinctive content terms include beheld, brightness, moon. Its relationship to verses 25 and 27 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:” The line’s distinctive content terms include enticed, hand, heart. Its relationship to verses 26 and 28 shows what work it does in this passage.

“This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:” The line’s distinctive content terms include destruction, evil, hated. Its relationship to verses 28 and 30 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.” Naming Neither keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.” The line’s distinctive content terms include flesh, satisfied, tabernacle. Its relationship to verses 30 and 32 shows what work it does in this passage.

“The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.” The line’s distinctive content terms include doors, lodge, opened. Its relationship to verses 31 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:” Naming Adam keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.” Naming Surely keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.” The line’s distinctive content terms include declare, near, number. Its relationship to verses 36 and 38 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;” The line’s distinctive content terms include complain, furrows, land. Its relationship to verses 37 and 39 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:” The line’s distinctive content terms include caused, eaten, fruits. Its relationship to verses 38 and 40 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.” Naming Job keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.