< Job 27 >

1 And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
And Job again took up his discourse, and said,
2 God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty — He made my soul bitter.
As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has vexed my soul.
3 For all the while my breath [is] in me, And the spirit of God in my nostrils.
(For my life is yet whole in me. And the spirit of God is in my nostrils.)
4 My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue doth not utter deceit.
Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, nor shall my tongue utter deceit.
5 Pollution to me — if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine integrity from me.
Far be it from me that I should justify you. Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart doth not reproach me while I live.
I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 As the wicked is my enemy, And my withstander as the perverse.
Let my enemy be as the wicked, and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
8 For what [is] the hope of the profane, When He doth cut off? When God doth cast off his soul?
For what is the hope of the profane, though he gets him gain, when God takes away his soul?
9 His cry doth God hear, When distress cometh on him?
Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
10 On the Mighty doth he delight himself? Call God at all times?
Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call upon God at all times?
11 I shew you by the hand of God, That which [is] with the Mighty I hide not.
I will teach you concerning the hand of God. That which is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Lo, ye — all of you — have seen, And why [is] this — ye are altogether vain?
Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it. Why then have ye become altogether vain?
13 This [is] the portion of wicked man with God, And the inheritance of terrible ones From the Mighty they receive.
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.
14 If his sons multiply — for them [is] a sword. And his offspring [are] not satisfied [with] bread.
If his sons be multiplied, it is for the sword. And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 His remnant in death are buried, And his widows do not weep.
Those who remain of him shall be buried in death, and his widows shall make no lamentation.
16 If he heap up as dust silver, And as clay prepare clothing,
Though he heaps up silver as the dust, and prepares raiment as the clay,
17 He prepareth — and the righteous putteth [it] on, And the silver the innocent doth apportion.
he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
18 He hath built as a moth his house, And as a booth a watchman hath made.
He builds his house as the moth, and as a booth which the keeper makes.
19 Rich he lieth down, and he is not gathered, His eyes he hath opened, and he is not.
He lies down rich, but he shall not be gathered to his fathers. He opens his eyes, and he is not.
20 Overtake him as waters do terrors, By night stolen him away hath a whirlwind.
Terrors overtake him like waters. A tempest steals him away in the night.
21 Take him up doth an east wind, and he goeth, And it frighteneth him from his place,
The east wind carries him away, and he departs, and it sweeps him out of his place.
22 And it casteth at him, and doth not spare, From its hand he diligently fleeth.
For God shall hurl at him, and not spare. He would gladly flee out of his hand.
23 It clappeth at him its hands, And it hisseth at him from his place.
Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

< Job 27 >