Job 27
1 Job continued his discourse:
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice— the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—
“God lives! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty—He made my soul bitter.
3 as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,
For all the while my breath [is] in me, And the wind of God in my nostrils.
4 my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit.
My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue does not utter deceit.
5 I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.
Defilement to me—if I justify you, Until I expire I do not turn aside my integrity from me.
6 I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.
On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart does not reproach me while I live.
7 May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.
My enemy is as the wicked, And my withstander as the perverse.
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 profane, When He cuts off? When God casts off his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
[Does] God hear his cry, When distress comes on him?
10 Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
Does he delight himself on the Mighty? Call God at all times?
11 I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.
I show you by the hand of God, That which [is] with the Mighty I do not hide.
12 Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?
Behold, you—all of you—have seen, And why [is] this—you are 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 wicked man with God, And the inheritance of terrible ones They receive from the Mighty.
14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food.
If his sons multiply—a sword [is] for them. And his offspring [are] not satisfied [with] bread.
15 His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them.
His remnant are buried in death, And his widows do not weep.
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
If he heaps up silver as dust, And prepares clothing as clay,
17 what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.
He prepares—and the righteous puts [it] on, And the innocent apportions the silver.
18 The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.
He has built his house as a moth, And as a shelter a watchman has made.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
He lies down rich, and he is not gathered, He has opened his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.
Terrors overtake him as waters, By night a whirlwind has stolen him away.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
An east wind takes him up, and he goes, And it frightens him from his place,
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.
And it casts at him, and does not spare, He diligently flees from its hand.
23 It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.
It claps its hands at him, And it hisses at him from his place.”
