Job 27

1 And Job again took up his measure, and said: —

Job replied again [to his three friends],

2 As GOD liveth who hath taken away my right, even the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul;

“Almighty God has refused to treat me justly/fairly. He has caused me to feel bitter/resentful. But [just as surely] as he lives,

3 All the while my inspiration is in me, and the spirit of GOD is in my nostrils,

as long as God’s Spirit enables me to breathe,

4 Verily my lips shall not speak perversity, nor shall, my tongue, utter deceit.

I will not lie; I [SYN] will not say anything to deceive anyone.

5 Far be it from me! that I should justify, you, —Even until I breathe my last, will I not let go mine integrity from me:

I will never admit that what you [three] have said is true; until the day that I die, I will insist that I have not done things that are wrong.

6 On my righteousness, have I taken fast hold, and will not give it up, My heart shall not reproach any of my days.

I will say that I am innocent, and never (say anything different/change what I say); my conscience will never reproach me as long as I live.

7 Let mine enemy be a veritably lawless one! And, he that lifteth himself up against me, one veritably perverse!

“I want my enemies to be [punished] like all wicked [people are punished]; I want [God to punish] those who oppose me like [he punishes all] unrighteous [people].

8 For what shall be the hope of the impious, though he graspeth with greed, when GOD shall draw forth his soul?

When [it is time for] God [to] get rid of godless/wicked people and [to] cause them to die, there is absolutely nothing good [RHQ] that they can confidently expect [to happen to them].

9 His outcry, will GOD hear, when there cometh upon him distress?

When they experience troubles, (will God hear them call [out to him for help]?/God certainly will not hear them call out [to him for help].) [RHQ]

10 Verily, in the Almighty, he will not find delight, nor call on GOD continually!

(Will they be happy about what Almighty [God] does?/They certainly will not be happy about what Almighty [God] does.) [RHQ] (Will they [begin to] pray to him frequently?/They certainly will not [begin to] pray to him frequently.) [RHQ] [Certainly not!]

11 I would teach you, by the hand of GOD, That which is with the Almighty, will I not conceal.

“I will teach you [three] something about the power [MTY] of Almighty God [MTY]; I will reveal what he is thinking.

12 Lo! ye, have, all of you, seen, Wherefore, then, is it, that ye are utterly without purpose?

But you [three] have seen for yourselves [what God has done]; so (why are you saying such nonsense?/you should not be saying such nonsense.) [RHQ]

13 This, is the portion of a lawless man with GOD, That, the heritage of tyrants—from the Almighty, he shall receive.

“[I will tell you] what Almighty God does to wicked people, the things that he does to people who oppress others.

14 If his children be multiplied, for them, [there is] the sword, and, his offspring, shall not be filled with bread;

[Even] if they have many children, [many of] those children will die in wars [MTY], and their [other] children will [die because they do] not have enough food to eat.

15 His survivors, by pestilence, shall come to the grave, and, his widows, shall not weep;

Their children who are still alive will die from diseases, and their widows will not [even] mourn for them.

16 Though he heap up silver like, dust, and, like a pile, he prepare clothing,

Sometimes [wicked people] accumulate a huge amount [SIM] of silver and pile up clothes like [SIM] those clothes were a pile of clay,

17 He may prepare, but, the righteous, shall put on, and, the silver, shall the innocent apportion.

but [those wicked people will die, and then] righteous people will wear those clothes, and honest/innocent people will get their silver and divide it [among themselves].

18 He hath built, like a moth, his house, —like a hut, which a watcher hath made.

The houses that they build are [as frail/fragile] as [SIM] spider webs, or they are like flimsy huts that watchmen live in [while they guard people’s fields].

19 The rich man, shall lie down, and not do it again, his eyes, hath he opened, and then is not.

Wicked people are rich when they lie down [at night], but when they wake up [in the morning, they find out that] their money has disappeared.

20 There shall reach him—like waters—terrors, By night, a storm-wind hath stolen him away;

“Things that terrify them [PRS] strike them like a flood [SIM]; during the night a whirlwind carries them away.

21 An east wind shall lift him up, and he shall depart, and it shall sweep him away out of his place;

[It is as though] the wind from the east picks them up and carries them away from their homes, and they disappear.

22 And He will cast upon him and not spare, Out of his hand, shall he, swiftly flee;

That wind strikes them without pitying them while they are running away, trying to escape from its force/power [MTY].

23 He shall clap over him his hands, and shall hiss him forth out of his place.

That wind [is like someone] clapping his hands [MET] at them [to ridicule them], howling at them wherever they run to.”