Job 27
1 Job continued his discourse:
And Job further continued and said in his parable,
2 “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice— the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—
[As] God lives, who has thus judge me; and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul;
3 as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,
verily, while my breath is yet in [me], and the breath of God which remains to me is in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit.
my lips shall not speak evil words, neither shall my soul meditate unrighteous thoughts.
5 I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.
Far be it from me that I should justify you till I die; for I will not let go my innocence,
6 I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.
but keeping fast to [my] righteousness I will by no means let it go: for I am not conscious to myself of having done any thing amiss.
7 May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.
Nay rather, but let mine enemies be as the overthrow of the ungodly, and they that rise up against me, as the destruction of transgressors.
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, that he holds to it? will he indeed trust in the Lord [and] be saved?
9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
Will God hear his prayer? or, when distress has come upon him,
10 Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
has he any confidence before him? or will [God] hear him as he calls upon him?
11 I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.
Yet now I will tell you what is in the hand of the Lord: I will not lie concerning the things which are with the Almighty.
12 Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?
Behold, you all know that you are adding vanity to vanity.
13 This is the wicked man’s portion from God— the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of oppressors shall come upon them from the Almighty.
14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food.
And if their children be many, they shall be for slaughter: and if they grow up, they shall beg.
15 His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them.
And they that survive of him shall utterly perish, and no one shall pity their widows.
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
Even if he should gather silver as earth, and prepare gold as clay;
17 what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.
All these things shall the righteous gain, and the true-hearted shall possess his wealth.
18 The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.
And his house is gone like moths, and like a spider's web.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
The rich man shall lie down, and shall not continue: he has opened his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.
Pains have come upon him as water, and darkness has carried him away by night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
And a burning wind shall catch him, and he shall depart, and it shall utterly drive him out of his place.
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.
And [God] shall cast [trouble] 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.
He shall cause [men] to clap their hands against them, and shall hiss him out of his place.
