< Job 27 >

1 And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty — He made my soul bitter.
[As] God liveth, [who] hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, [who] hath vexed my soul;
3 For all the while my breath [is] in me, And the spirit of God in my nostrils.
All the while my breath [is] 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.
My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 Pollution to me — if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine integrity from me.
God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine 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.
My righteousness I hold fast, 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 mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me 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 hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
9 His cry doth God hear, When distress cometh on him?
Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
10 On the Mighty doth he delight himself? Call God at all times?
Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
11 I shew you by the hand of God, That which [is] with the Mighty I hide not.
I will teach you by the hand of God: [that] which [is] with the Almighty will I 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 are ye thus 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 shall receive of the Almighty.
14 If his sons multiply — for them [is] a sword. And his offspring [are] not satisfied [with] bread.
If his children 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 that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
16 If he heap up as dust silver, And as clay prepare clothing,
Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare 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 buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth [that] the keeper maketh.
19 Rich he lieth down, and he is not gathered, His eyes he hath opened, and he is not.
The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he [is] not.
20 Overtake him as waters do terrors, By night stolen him away hath a whirlwind.
Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth 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 carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
22 And it casteth at him, and doth not spare, From its hand he diligently fleeth.
For [God] shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain 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 >