Job 27
1 Job continued his discourse:
Job also added, taking up 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 judgment, and the Almighty, who hath brought my soul to bitterness,
3 as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,
As long as breath remaineth in me, and the spirit of God in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit.
My lips shall not speak iniquity, neither shall my tongue contrive lying.
5 I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.
God forbid that I should judge you to be just: till I die I will not depart from my innocence.
6 I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.
My justification, which I have begun to hold, I will not forsake: for my heart doth not reprehend me in all my life.
7 May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.
Let my enemy be as the ungodly, and my adversary as the wicked one.
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 hypocrite if through covetousness he take by violence, and God deliver not his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
Will God hear his cry, when distress shall come upon him?
10 Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
Or can he delight himself in the Almighty, and call upon God at all times?
11 I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.
I will teach you by the hand of God, what the Almighty hath, and I will not conceal it.
12 Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?
Behold you all know it, and why do you speak vain things without cause?
13 This is the wicked man’s portion from God— the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the inheritance of the violent, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food.
If his sons be multiplied, they shall be for the sword, and his grandsons shall not be filled with bread.
15 His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them.
They that shall remain of him, shall be buried in death, and his widows shall not weep.
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
If he shall heap together silver as earth, and prepare raiment as clay,
17 what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.
He shall prepare indeed, but the just man shall be clothed with it: 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 hath built his house as a moth, and as a keeper he hath made a booth.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
The rich man when he shall sleep shall take away nothing with him: he shall open his eyes and find nothing.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.
Poverty like water shall take hold on him, a tempest shall oppress him in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
A burning wind shall take him up, and carry him away, and as a whirlwind shall snatch him from his place.
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.
And he shall cast upon him, and shall not spare: out of his hand he would willingly flee.
23 It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.
He shall clasp his hands upon him, and shall hiss at him, beholding his place.
