Job 27
1 Job resumed speaking and he said,
And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
2 “As surely as God lives, who has taken away my justice, the Almighty, who made my life bitter,
God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty — He made my soul bitter.
3 while my life is yet in me, and the breath from God is in my nostrils, this is what I will do.
For all the while my breath [is] in me, And the spirit of God in my nostrils.
4 My lips will not speak wickedness, neither will my tongue speak deceit;
My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue doth not utter deceit.
5 I will never admit that you three are right; until I die I will never deny my integrity.
Pollution to me — if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine integrity 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.
On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart doth not reproach me while I live.
7 Let my enemy be like a wicked man; let him who rises up against me be like an unrighteous man.
As the wicked is my enemy, And my withstander as the perverse.
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 profane, When He doth cut off? When God doth cast off his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
His cry doth God hear, When distress cometh on him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty and call upon God at all times?
On the Mighty doth he delight himself? Call God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; I will not conceal the thoughts of the Almighty.
I shew you by the hand of God, That which [is] with the Mighty I hide not.
12 See, all of you have seen this yourselves; why then have you spoken all this nonsense?
Lo, ye — all of you — have seen, And why [is] this — ye are altogether vain?
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 wicked man with God, And the inheritance of terrible ones From the Mighty they receive.
14 If his children multiply, it is for the sword; his offspring will never have enough food.
If his sons multiply — for them [is] a sword. And his offspring [are] not satisfied [with] bread.
15 Those who survive him will be buried by plague, and their widows will make no lament for them.
His remnant in death are buried, And his widows do not weep.
16 Though the wicked man heaps up silver like the dust, and heaps up clothing like clay,
If he heap up as dust silver, And as clay prepare clothing,
17 he may heap up clothing, but righteous people will put it on, and innocent people will divide up the silver among themselves.
He prepareth — and the righteous putteth [it] on, And the silver the innocent doth apportion.
18 He builds his house like a spider, like a hut that a guard makes.
He hath built as a moth his house, And as a booth a watchman 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 he lieth down, and he is not gathered, His eyes he hath opened, and he is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like waters; a storm takes him away in the night.
Overtake him as waters do terrors, By night stolen him away hath a whirlwind.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he leaves; it sweeps him out of his place.
Take him up doth an east wind, and he goeth, And it frighteneth him from his place,
22 It throws itself at him and does not stop; he tries to flee out of its hand.
And it casteth at him, and doth not spare, From its hand he diligently fleeth.
23 It claps its hands at him in mockery; it hisses him out of his place.
It clappeth at him its hands, And it hisseth at him from his place.
