Job 27

1 Job replied again [to his three friends],

Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:

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

As God lives, who has taken away my judgment, and the Almighty, who has led my soul to bitterness,

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

as long as my breath remains in me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,

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

my lips will not speak iniquity, nor will my tongue devise lies.

5 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.

Far be it from me that I should judge you to be right, for, until I expire, I will not withdraw from my innocence.

6 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.

I will not forsake my justification, which I have just begun to grasp, for my heart does not find blame for me in my whole life.

7 “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].

Let the impious be as my enemy, and the sinful, as my adversary.

8 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].

For what hope is there for the hypocrite, if he greedily plunders and God does not free his soul?

9 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]

Will God pay attention to his cry, when anguish overcomes him?

10 (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!]

Or will he take delight in the Almighty and call upon God at all times?

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

I will teach you through the hand of God, what the Almighty holds, and I will not conceal it.

12 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]

Behold, you know all this, and so why do you speak vain things without a reason?

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

This is the portion of the impious man with God, and the inheritance of the violent, which they will receive from the Almighty.

14 [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.

If his sons should happen to increase, they will be for the sword, and his grandsons will not be satisfied with bread.

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

Whatever will remain of him will be buried in the ruins, and his widows will not weep.

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

If he will amass silver as if it were dirt and fabricate garments as if they were clay,

17 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].

then yes, he will gather, but the just will be clothed with it and the innocent will divide the silver.

18 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].

He has built his house like a moth, and he has made a makeshift shelter like a sentry.

19 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.

When he falls asleep, the rich man will leave him with nothing; he will open his eyes and find nothing.

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

Destitution will surround him like water; a storm will overwhelm him in the night.

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

A burning wind will pick him up and carry him away, and, like a whirlwind, it will rush him from his place.

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

And it will hurl over him and will not spare him; fleeing from its power, he will go into exile.

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

He will clasp his hands over himself, and he will hiss at himself, while considering his situation.