Job 27

1 Job continued his discourse:

Job replied again [to his three friends],

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

“Almighty God has refused to treat me justly/fairly. He has caused me to feel bitter/resentful. But [just as surely] as he lives,

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

as long as God’s Spirit enables me to breathe,

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

I will not lie; I [SYN] will not say anything to deceive anyone.

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

I will never admit that what you [three] have said is true; until the day that I die, I will insist that I have not done things that are wrong.

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

I will say that I am innocent, and never (say anything different/change what I say); my conscience will never reproach me as long as I live.

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

“I want my enemies to be [punished] like all wicked [people are punished]; I want [God to punish] those who oppose me like [he punishes all] unrighteous [people].

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

When [it is time for] God [to] get rid of godless/wicked people and [to] cause them to die, there is absolutely nothing good [RHQ] that they can confidently expect [to happen to them].

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

When they experience troubles, (will God hear them call [out to him for help]?/God certainly will not hear them call out [to him for help].) [RHQ]

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

(Will they be happy about what Almighty [God] does?/They certainly will not be happy about what Almighty [God] does.) [RHQ] (Will they [begin to] pray to him frequently?/They certainly will not [begin to] pray to him frequently.) [RHQ] [Certainly not!]

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

“I will teach you [three] something about the power [MTY] of Almighty God [MTY]; I will reveal what he is thinking.

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

But you [three] have seen for yourselves [what God has done]; so (why are you saying such nonsense?/you should not be saying such nonsense.) [RHQ]

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

“[I will tell you] what Almighty God does to wicked people, the things that he does to people who oppress others.

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

[Even] if they have many children, [many of] those children will die in wars [MTY], and their [other] children will [die because they do] not have enough food to eat.

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

Their children who are still alive will die from diseases, and their widows will not [even] mourn for them.

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

Sometimes [wicked people] accumulate a huge amount [SIM] of silver and pile up clothes like [SIM] those clothes were a pile of clay,

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

but [those wicked people will die, and then] righteous people will wear those clothes, and honest/innocent people will get their silver and divide it [among themselves].

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

The houses that they build are [as frail/fragile] as [SIM] spider webs, or they are like flimsy huts that watchmen live in [while they guard people’s fields].

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

Wicked people are rich when they lie down [at night], but when they wake up [in the morning, they find out that] their money has disappeared.

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

“Things that terrify them [PRS] strike them like a flood [SIM]; during the night a whirlwind carries them away.

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

[It is as though] the wind from the east picks them up and carries them away from their homes, and they disappear.

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

That wind strikes them without pitying them while they are running away, trying to escape from its force/power [MTY].

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

That wind [is like someone] clapping his hands [MET] at them [to ridicule them], howling at them wherever they run to.”