Job 27
1 And Job continued taking up his parable, and said,
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 As God liveth, who hath removed justice from me; and by the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul:
“God lives! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty—He made my soul bitter.
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
For all the while my breath [is] in me, And the wind of God in my nostrils.
4 Shall my lips not speak any wrong, nor shall my tongue utter deceit.
My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue does not utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should justify you; till I depart hence will I not allow [any one] to take my integrity away from me.
Defilement to me—if I justify you, Until I expire I do not turn aside my integrity from me.
6 I have laid fast hold on my righteousness, and I will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me [for my conduct] during all my life.
On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart does not reproach me while I live.
7 Like the wicked is [therefore] my enemy, and he that riseth up against me like a wrong-doer.
My enemy is as the wicked, And my withstander as the perverse.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, when he hath gained unjust wealth, when God casteth forth his soul?
For what [is] the hope of the profane, When He cuts off? When God casts off his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry, when distress cometh upon him?
[Does] God hear his cry, When distress comes on him?
10 Or can he find delight in the Almighty? can he call on God at all times?
Does he delight himself on the Mighty? Call God at all times?
11 I will instruct you concerning what is in the hand of God: [the way] which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
I show you by the hand of God, That which [is] with the Mighty I do not hide.
12 Lo! ye yourselves have all beheld it: why is it then that ye deal in such vanities?
Behold, you—all of you—have seen, And why [is] this—you are altogether vain?
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the portion of tyrants, which they shall receive from the Almighty.
This [is] the portion of wicked man with God, And the inheritance of terrible ones They receive from the Mighty.
14 If his children be multiplied, it is only for the sword; and his offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
If his sons multiply—a sword [is] for them. And his offspring [are] not satisfied [with] bread.
15 Those of his that are left to escape will be buried by death; and his widows will not be able to weep.
His remnant are buried in death, And his widows do not weep.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare garments [as plentifully] as the clay:
If he heaps up silver as dust, And prepares clothing as clay,
17 He may prepare, but the righteous will clothe himself [therewith], and the silver the innocent will divide.
He prepares—and the righteous puts [it] on, And the innocent apportions the silver.
18 He buildeth his house like the moth, and like a hut that a keeper hath made.
He has built his house as a moth, And as a shelter a watchman has made.
19 Rich will he lie down, but will not be gathered [into the grave]: one openeth his eyes, and he is no more.
He lies down rich, and he is not gathered, He has opened his eyes, and he is not.
20 Like a flood will terror overtake him, in the night a tempest will steal him away.
Terrors overtake him as waters, By night a whirlwind has stolen him away.
21 The east wind will lift him up, and he must be gone; and it hurleth him like a storm out of his place.
An east wind takes him up, and he goes, And it frightens him from his place,
22 And [God] will cast [evil] upon him, and bare no pity: out of his hand [his wealth] will surely escape.
And it casts at him, and does not spare, He diligently flees from its hand.
23 Men will clap their hands over him, and will hiss after him out of his place.
It claps its hands at him, And it hisses at him from his place.”
