Job 27

1 Job began to speak again.

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2 “I promise you—as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter,

As God lives, who has taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who has vexed my soul;

3 for as long as I have life, while the breath of God remains in my nostrils—

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

4 my lips will never speak lies, my tongue will never be dishonest.

My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

5 I will never agree that you are right; I will insist on my innocence until the day I die.

God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove my integrity from me.

6 I'm convinced I'm right and will never give up believing this; my conscience will not condemn me as long as I live.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

7 May my enemy become like the wicked; may those who oppose me become like those who do evil.

Let my enemy be as the wicked, and he that rises up against me as the unrighteous.

8 For what hope do those who reject God have when he cuts them down, when God brings their lives to an end?

For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained, when God takes away his soul?

9 When times of trouble come to them, will God hear their cry for help?

Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?

10 Do they have a good relationship with the Almighty? Can they call on God at any time?

Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call on God?

11 Let me explain God's power to you. I will not keep anything back that the Almighty has planned.

I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

12 If all of you have recognized this, why do you talk such vain nonsense?

Behold, all you yourselves have seen it; why then are you thus altogether vain?

13 This is what God provides as the destiny for the wicked, this is the inheritance that the ruthless will receive from the Almighty—

This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

14 even if they have many children, they will experience violent deaths or die of starvation.

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

15 Those who survive will die from disease, and even their widows will not mourn for them.

Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

16 Even though they pile up silver like dust, and clothes like heaps of clay,

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

17 those who do good will wear the clothes and the innocent will divide the silver among them.

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

18 They build their houses like a moth; like some flimsy shelter made by a watchman.

He builds his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper makes.

19 They go to bed rich, but never again! For when they wake up, it's all gone.

The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he opens his eyes, and he is not.

20 Waves of panic flood over them; in the night a whirlwind snatches them away.

Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest steals him away in the night.

21 The east wind picks them up and they're gone, carried away from where they were.

The east wind carries him away, and he departs: and as a storm hurls him out of his place.

22 The wind blows at them with full force; they try desperately to escape.

For God shall cast on him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

23 People clap their hands at them and hiss at them wherever they are.

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