Job 27

1 Job continued his discourse:

And Job continued his parable and said,

2 “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice— the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—

[As] God liveth, who hath taken away my right, and the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul,

3 as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,

All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

4 my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit.

My lips shall not speak unrighteousness, nor my tongue utter deceit!

5 I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.

Be it far from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not remove my blamelessness from me.

6 I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart reproacheth [me] not one of my days.

7 May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.

Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

8 For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

For what is the hope of the ungodly, when [God] cutteth him off, when God taketh away his soul?

9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?

Will God hear his cry when distress cometh upon him?

10 Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?

Doth he delight himself in the Almighty? will he at all times call upon God?

11 I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.

I will teach you concerning the hand of God; what is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

12 Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?

Behold, ye yourselves have all seen [it]; and why are ye thus altogether vain?

13 This is the wicked man’s portion from God— the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty.

This is the portion of the wicked man with God, and the heritage of the violent, which they receive from the Almighty: —

14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food.

If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword, and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread;

15 His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them.

Those that remain of him shall be buried by death, and his widows shall not weep.

16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,

Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;

17 what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.

He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on; and the innocent shall divide the silver.

18 The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.

He buildeth his house as the moth, and as a booth that a keeper maketh.

19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.

He lieth down rich, but will do so no more; he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.

Terrors overtake him like waters; a whirlwind stealeth him away in the night.

21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.

The east wind carrieth him away and he is gone; and as a storm it hurleth him out of his place.

22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.

And [God] shall cast upon him and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

23 It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.

[Men] shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.