Job 27
1 Job continued his discourse:
And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
2 “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice— the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—
God liveth! 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 spirit 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 doth not utter deceit.
5 I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.
Pollution to me — if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine 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 doth not reproach me while I live.
7 May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.
As the wicked is my enemy, 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 doth cut off? When God doth cast off his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
His cry doth God hear, When distress cometh on him?
10 Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
On the Mighty doth he delight himself? 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 shew you by the hand of God, That which [is] with the Mighty I hide not.
12 Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?
Lo, ye — all of you — have seen, And why [is] this — ye 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 From the Mighty they receive.
14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food.
If his sons multiply — for them [is] a sword. 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 in death are buried, And his widows do not weep.
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
If he heap up as dust silver, And as clay prepare clothing,
17 what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.
He prepareth — and the righteous putteth [it] on, And the silver the innocent doth apportion.
18 The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.
He hath built as a moth his house, And as a booth a watchman hath made.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
Rich he lieth down, and he is not gathered, His eyes he hath opened, and he is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.
Overtake him as waters do terrors, By night stolen him away hath a whirlwind.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
Take him up doth an east wind, and he goeth, And it frighteneth him from his place,
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.
And it casteth at him, and doth not spare, From its hand he diligently fleeth.
23 It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.
It clappeth at him its hands, And it hisseth at him from his place.
