Job 27
1 Job resumed speaking and he said,
And Job continued taking up his parable, and said,
2 “As surely as God lives, who has taken away my justice, the Almighty, who made my life bitter,
As God liveth, who hath removed justice from me; and by the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul:
3 while my life is yet in me, and the breath from God is in my nostrils, this is what I will do.
All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips will not speak wickedness, neither will my tongue speak deceit;
Shall my lips not speak any wrong, nor shall my tongue utter deceit.
5 I will never admit that you three are right; until I die I will never deny my integrity.
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.
6 I hold fast to my righteousness and will not let it go; my thoughts will not reproach me so long as I live.
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.
7 Let my enemy be like a wicked man; let him who rises up against me be like an unrighteous man.
Like the wicked is [therefore] my enemy, and he that riseth up against me like a wrong-doer.
8 For what is the hope of a godless man when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, when he hath gained unjust wealth, when God casteth forth his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
Will God hear his cry, when distress cometh upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty and call upon God at all times?
Or can he find delight in the Almighty? can he call on God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; I will not conceal the thoughts of the Almighty.
I will instruct you concerning what is in the hand of God: [the way] which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
12 See, all of you have seen this yourselves; why then have you spoken all this nonsense?
Lo! ye yourselves have all beheld it: why is it then that ye deal in such vanities?
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of the oppressor that he receives from the Almighty:
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the portion of tyrants, which they shall receive from the Almighty.
14 If his children multiply, it is for the sword; his offspring will never have enough food.
If his children be multiplied, it is only for the sword; and his offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who survive him will be buried by plague, and their widows will make no lament for them.
Those of his that are left to escape will be buried by death; and his widows will not be able to weep.
16 Though the wicked man heaps up silver like the dust, and heaps up clothing like clay,
Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare garments [as plentifully] as the clay:
17 he may heap up clothing, but righteous people will put it on, and innocent people will divide up the silver among themselves.
He may prepare, but the righteous will clothe himself [therewith], and the silver the innocent will divide.
18 He builds his house like a spider, like a hut that a guard makes.
He buildeth his house like the moth, and like a hut that a keeper hath made.
19 He lies down in bed rich, but he will not keep doing so; he opens his eyes, and everything is gone.
Rich will he lie down, but will not be gathered [into the grave]: one openeth his eyes, and he is no more.
20 Terrors overtake him like waters; a storm takes him away in the night.
Like a flood will terror overtake him, in the night a tempest will steal him away.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he leaves; it sweeps him out of his place.
The east wind will lift him up, and he must be gone; and it hurleth him like a storm out of his place.
22 It throws itself at him and does not stop; he tries to flee out of its hand.
And [God] will cast [evil] upon him, and bare no pity: out of his hand [his wealth] will surely escape.
23 It claps its hands at him in mockery; it hisses him out of his place.
Men will clap their hands over him, and will hiss after him out of his place.
