Job 31:13
New International Version
“If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me,

New Living Translation
“If I have been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to me,

English Standard Version
“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me,

Berean Standard Bible
If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,

King James Bible
If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

New King James Version
“If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me,

New American Standard Bible
“If I have rejected the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,

NASB 1995
“If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,

NASB 1977
“If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,

Legacy Standard Bible
“If I have rejected the justice of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,

Amplified Bible
“If I have despised and rejected the claim of my male or female servants When they filed a complaint against me,

Christian Standard Bible
If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants when they made a complaint against me,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants when they made a complaint against me,

American Standard Version
If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If I have despised the justice of my Servants or of my Maidservants when they have been contending with me

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or my handmaid, when they pleaded with me;

Contemporary English Version
When my servants complained against me, I was fair to them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If I have despised to abide judgment with my manservant, or my maidservant, when they had any controversy against me:

English Revised Version
If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"If I have abused the rights of my servants, male or female, when they have disagreed with me,

Good News Translation
When any of my servants complained against me, I would listen and treat them fairly.

International Standard Version
"If I've refused to help my male and female servants when they complain against me,

JPS Tanakh 1917
If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, Or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me--

Literal Standard Version
If I despise the cause of my manservant, | And of my handmaid, | In their contending with me,

Majority Standard Bible
If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,

New American Bible
Had I refused justice to my manservant or to my maidservant, when they had a complaint against me,

NET Bible
"If I have disregarded the right of my male servants or my female servants when they disputed with me,

New Revised Standard Version
“If I have rejected the cause of my male or female slaves, when they brought a complaint against me;

New Heart English Bible
"If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me;

Webster's Bible Translation
If I despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me;

World English Bible
“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,

Young's Literal Translation
If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job's Final Appeal
12For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest. 13If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, 14what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?…

Cross References
Ephesians 6:9
And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.

Deuteronomy 24:14
Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.

Deuteronomy 24:15
You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Job 31:14
what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?


Treasury of Scripture

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

the cause

Exodus 21:20,21,26,27
And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished…

Leviticus 25:43,46
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God…

Deuteronomy 15:12-15
And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee…

Jump to Previous
Bondman Cause Claim Complaint Contended Contending Denied Despise Despised Female Handmaid Justice Law Maidservant Maid-Servant Maidservants Male Manservant Man-Servant Menservants Rejected Servant Slaves Woman-Servant Wrong
Jump to Next
Bondman Cause Claim Complaint Contended Contending Denied Despise Despised Female Handmaid Justice Law Maidservant Maid-Servant Maidservants Male Manservant Man-Servant Menservants Rejected Servant Slaves Woman-Servant Wrong
Job 31
1. Job makes a solemn protestation of his integrity in several duties














(13) If I did despise.--In Job 22:8, Eliphaz had insinuated that Job had favoured the rich and powerful, but had oppressed and ground down the weak. He now meets this accusation, and affirms that he had regarded his own servants even as brethren, because partakers of a common humanity.

Verse 13. - If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant. Job now disclaims a fourth sin - the oppression of his dependants. Eliphaz had taxed him generally with harshness and cruelty in his relations towards those weaker than himself (Job 22:5-9), but had not specially pointed to this kind of oppressiveness. As, however, this was the commonest form of the vice, Job deems it right to disclaim it, before addressing himself to the several charges brought by Eliphaz. He has not ill used his slaves, either male or female. He has not "despised their cause," but given it full consideration and attention; he has heard them when they contended with him; he has allowed them to "contend;" he has been a just, and not a hard master. The slavery of which he speaks is evidently of a kind under which the slave had certain rights, as was the case also under the Mosaic Law (Exodus 21:2-11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I have rejected
אֶמְאַ֗ס (’em·’as)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3988: To spurn, to disappear

the cause
מִשְׁפַּ֣ט (miš·paṭ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

of my manservant
עַ֭בְדִּי (‘aḇ·dî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

or maidservant
וַאֲמָתִ֑י (wa·’ă·mā·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 519: A maidservant, female slave

when they made a complaint
בְּ֝רִבָ֗ם (bə·ri·ḇām)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7378: To toss, grapple, to wrangle, controversy, to defend

against me,
עִמָּדִֽי׃ (‘im·mā·ḏî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5978: Against, by, from, me, mine, of, that I take, unto,


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OT Poetry: Job 31:13 If I have despised the cause (Jb)
Job 31:12
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