Job 27

1 And Job continued his parable and said,

And Job again took up the word and said,

2 [As] God liveth, who hath taken away my right, and the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul,

By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;

3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life; )

4 My lips shall not speak unrighteousness, nor my tongue utter deceit!

Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false.

5 Be it far from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not remove my blamelessness from me.

Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.

6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart reproacheth [me] not one of my days.

I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life.

7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

Let my hater be like the evil man, and let him who comes against me be as the sinner.

8 For what is the hope of the ungodly, when [God] cutteth him off, when God taketh away his soul?

For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul?

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

Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?

10 Doth he delight himself in the Almighty? will he at all times call upon God?

Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times?

11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; what is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.

12 Behold, ye yourselves have all seen [it]; and why are ye thus altogether vain?

Truly, you have all seen it yourselves; why then have you become completely foolish?

13 This is the portion of the wicked man with God, and the heritage of the violent, which they receive from the Almighty: —

This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.

14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword, and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread;

If his children are increased, it is for the sword; and his offspring have not enough bread.

15 Those that remain of him shall be buried by death, and his widows shall not weep.

When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them.

16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;

Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing;

17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on; and the innocent shall divide the silver.

He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.

18 He buildeth his house as the moth, and as a booth that a keeper maketh.

His house has no more strength than a spider's thread, or a watchman's tent.

19 He lieth down rich, but will do so no more; he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

He goes to rest full of wealth, but does so for the last time: on opening his eyes, he sees it there no longer.

20 Terrors overtake him like waters; a whirlwind stealeth him away in the night.

Fears overtake him like rushing waters; in the night the storm-wind takes him away.

21 The east wind carrieth him away and he is gone; and as a storm it hurleth him out of his place.

The east wind takes him up and he is gone; he is forced violently out of his place.

22 And [God] shall cast upon him and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

God sends his arrows against him without mercy; he goes in flight before his hand.

23 [Men] shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

Men make signs of joy because of him, driving him from his place with sounds of hissing.