Job 27
1 Job replied again [to his three friends],
And Job continued his parable and 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 liveth, who hath taken away my right, and the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul,
3 as long as God’s Spirit enables me to breathe,
All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4 I will not lie; I [SYN] will not say anything to deceive anyone.
My lips shall not speak unrighteousness, nor my tongue utter deceit!
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.
Be it far from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not remove my blamelessness from me.
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.
My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart reproacheth [me] not one of my days.
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 mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
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 is the hope of the ungodly, when [God] cutteth him off, when God taketh away 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 hear his cry when distress cometh upon 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!]
Doth he delight himself in the Almighty? will he at all times call upon God?
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 concerning the hand of God; what is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
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, ye yourselves have all seen [it]; and why are ye thus altogether vain?
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 wicked man with God, and the heritage of the violent, which they 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 children be multiplied, it is for the sword, and his offspring shall 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.
Those that remain of him shall be buried by death, and his widows shall 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,
Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the 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].
He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on; and the innocent shall 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 buildeth his house as the moth, and as a booth that a keeper maketh.
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.
He lieth down rich, but will do so no more; he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
20 “Things that terrify them [PRS] strike them like a flood [SIM]; during the night a whirlwind carries them away.
Terrors overtake him like waters; a whirlwind stealeth him away 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.
The east wind carrieth him away and he is gone; and as a storm it hurleth him out of his place.
22 That wind strikes them without pitying them while they are running away, trying to escape from its force/power [MTY].
And [God] shall cast upon him and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
23 That wind [is like someone] clapping his hands [MET] at them [to ridicule them], howling at them wherever they run to.”
[Men] shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
