< Job 27 >

1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
And Job again took up his measure, and said: —
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right, the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter
As GOD liveth who hath taken away my right, even the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul;
3 (for the length of my life is still in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);
All the while my inspiration is in me, and the spirit of GOD is in my nostrils,
4 surely my lips will not speak unrighteousness, neither will my tongue utter deceit.
Verily my lips shall not speak perversity, nor shall, my tongue, utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should justify you. Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
Far be it from me! that I should justify, you, —Even until I breathe my last, will I not let go mine integrity from me:
6 I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.
On my righteousness, have I taken fast hold, and will not give it up, My heart shall not reproach any of my days.
7 “Let my enemy be as the wicked. Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
Let mine enemy be a veritably lawless one! And, he that lifteth himself up against me, one veritably perverse!
8 For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
For what shall be the hope of the impious, though he graspeth with greed, when GOD shall draw forth his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?
His outcry, will GOD hear, when there cometh upon him distress?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?
Verily, in the Almighty, he will not find delight, nor call on GOD continually!
11 I will teach you about the hand of God. I will not conceal that which is with the Almighty.
I would teach you, by the hand of GOD, That which is with the Almighty, will I not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?
Lo! ye, have, all of you, seen, Wherefore, then, is it, that ye are utterly without purpose?
13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.
This, is the portion of a lawless man with GOD, That, the heritage of tyrants—from the Almighty, he shall receive.
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword. His offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
If his children be multiplied, for them, [there is] the sword, and, his offspring, shall not be filled with bread;
15 Those who remain of him will be buried in death. His widows will make no lamentation.
His survivors, by pestilence, shall come to the grave, and, his widows, shall not weep;
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;
Though he heap up silver like, dust, and, like a pile, he prepare clothing,
17 he may prepare it, but the just will put it on, and the innocent will divide the silver.
He may prepare, but, the righteous, shall put on, and, the silver, shall the innocent apportion.
18 He builds his house as the moth, as a booth which the watchman makes.
He hath built, like a moth, his house, —like a hut, which a watcher hath made.
19 He lies down rich, but he will not do so again. He opens his eyes, and he is not.
The rich man, shall lie down, and not do it again, his eyes, hath he opened, and then is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like waters. A storm steals him away in the night.
There shall reach him—like waters—terrors, By night, a storm-wind hath stolen him away;
21 The east wind carries him away, and he departs. It sweeps him out of his place.
An east wind shall lift him up, and he shall depart, and it shall sweep him away out of his place;
22 For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.
And He will cast upon him and not spare, Out of his hand, shall he, swiftly flee;
23 Men will clap their hands at him, and will hiss him out of his place.
He shall clap over him his hands, and shall hiss him forth out of his place.

< Job 27 >