Job 27

1 And Job further continued and said in his parable,

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2 [As] God lives, who has thus judge me; and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul;

[As] God liveth, [who] hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, [who] hath vexed my soul;

3 verily, while my breath is yet in [me], and the breath of God which remains to me is in my nostrils,

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

4 my lips shall not speak evil words, neither shall my soul meditate unrighteous thoughts.

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

5 Far be it from me that I should justify you till I die; for I will not let go my innocence,

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

6 but keeping fast to [my] righteousness I will by no means let it go: for I am not conscious to myself of having done any thing amiss.

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

7 Nay rather, but let mine enemies be as the overthrow of the ungodly, and they that rise up against me, as the destruction of transgressors.

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

8 For what is the hope of the ungodly, that he holds to it? will he indeed trust in the Lord [and] be saved?

For what [is] the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

9 Will God hear his prayer? or, when distress has come upon him,

Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

10 has he any confidence before him? or will [God] hear him as he calls upon him?

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

11 Yet now I will tell you what is in the hand of the Lord: I will not lie concerning the things which are with the Almighty.

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

12 Behold, you all know that you are adding vanity to vanity.

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

13 This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of oppressors shall come upon them 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 And if their children be many, they shall be for slaughter: and if they grow up, they shall beg.

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

15 And they that survive of him shall utterly perish, and no one shall pity their widows.

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

16 Even if he should gather silver as earth, and prepare gold as clay;

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

17 All these things shall the righteous gain, and the true-hearted shall possess his wealth.

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

18 And his house is gone like moths, and like a spider's web.

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

19 The rich man shall lie down, and shall not continue: he has opened his eyes, and he is not.

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

20 Pains have come upon him as water, and darkness has carried him away by night.

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

21 And a burning wind shall catch him, and he shall depart, and it shall utterly drive him out of his place.

The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

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

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

23 He shall cause [men] to clap their hands against them, and shall hiss him out of his place.

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