Job 27
1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
Job resumed speaking and he said,
2 As God lives, who has taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who has vexed my soul;
“As surely as God lives, who has taken away my justice, the Almighty, who made my life bitter,
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
while my life is yet in me, and the breath from God is in my nostrils, this is what I will do.
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
My lips will not speak wickedness, neither will my tongue speak deceit;
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
I will never admit that you three are right; until I die I will never deny my integrity.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
I hold fast to my righteousness and will not let it go; my thoughts will not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that rises up against me as the unrighteous.
Let my enemy be like a wicked man; let him who rises up against me be like an unrighteous man.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained, when God takes away his soul?
For what is the hope of a godless man when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
Will he delight himself in the Almighty and call upon God at all times?
11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
I will teach you concerning the hand of God; I will not conceal the thoughts of the Almighty.
12 Behold, all you yourselves have seen it; why then are all of you thus altogether vain?
See, all of you have seen this yourselves; why then have you spoken all this nonsense?
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of the oppressor that he receives from the Almighty:
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
If his children multiply, it is for the sword; his offspring will never have enough food.
15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
Those who survive him will be buried by plague, and their widows will make no lament for them.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
Though the wicked man heaps up silver like the dust, and heaps up clothing like clay,
17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
he may heap up clothing, but righteous people will put it on, and innocent people will divide up the silver among themselves.
18 He builds his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper makes.
He builds his house like a spider, like a hut that a guard makes.
19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he opens his eyes, and he is not.
He lies down in bed rich, but he will not keep doing so; he opens his eyes, and everything is gone.
20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest steals him away in the night.
Terrors overtake him like waters; a storm takes him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he departs: and as a storm hurls him out of his place.
The east wind carries him away, and he leaves; it sweeps him out of his place.
22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
It throws itself at him and does not stop; he tries to flee out of its hand.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
It claps its hands at him in mockery; it hisses him out of his place.
