Job 27

1 Moreover, Job continued his parable, and said,

Job began to speak again.

2 [As] God liveth, [who] hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty [who] hath afflicted my soul;

“I promise you—as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter,

3 All the while my breath [is] in me, and the spirit of God [is] in my nostrils;

for as long as I have life, while the breath of God remains in my nostrils—

4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

my lips will never speak lies, my tongue will never be dishonest.

5 Far be it from me that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove my integrity from me.

I will never agree that you are right; I will insist on my innocence until the day I die.

6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach [me] so long as I live.

I'm convinced I'm right and will never give up believing this; my conscience will not condemn me as long as I live.

7 Let my enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

May my enemy become like the wicked; may those who oppose me become like those who do evil.

8 For what [is] the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

For what hope do those who reject God have when he cuts them down, when God brings their lives to an end?

9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

When times of trouble come to them, will God hear their cry for help?

10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

Do they have a good relationship with the Almighty? Can they call on God at any time?

11 I will teach you by the hand of God: [that] which [is] with the Almighty will I not conceal.

Let me explain God's power to you. I will not keep anything back that the Almighty has planned.

12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen [it]; why then are ye thus altogether vain?

If all of you have recognized this, why do you talk such vain nonsense?

13 This [is] the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, [which] they shall receive of the Almighty.

This is what God provides as the destiny for the wicked, this is the inheritance that the ruthless will receive from the Almighty—

14 If his children are multiplied, [it is] for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

even if they have many children, they will experience violent deaths or die of starvation.

15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

Those who survive will die from disease, and even their widows will not mourn for them.

16 Though he should heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay?

Even though they pile up silver like dust, and clothes like heaps of clay,

17 He may prepare [it], but the just shall put [it] on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

those who do good will wear the clothes and the innocent will divide the silver among them.

18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth [that] the keeper maketh.

They build their houses like a moth; like some flimsy shelter made by a watchman.

19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he [is] not.

They go to bed rich, but never again! For when they wake up, it's all gone.

20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

Waves of panic flood over them; in the night a whirlwind snatches them away.

21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

The east wind picks them up and they're gone, carried away from where they were.

22 For [God] shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

The wind blows at them with full force; they try desperately to escape.

23 [Men] shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

People clap their hands at them and hiss at them wherever they are.