< Job 27 >

1 And Job further continued and said in his parable,
Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 [As] God lives, who has thus judge me; and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul;
“As God lives, who has taken away my right, the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter
3 verily, while my breath is yet in [me], and the breath of God which remains to me is in my nostrils,
(for the length of my life is still in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);
4 my lips shall not speak evil words, neither shall my soul meditate unrighteous thoughts.
surely my lips will not speak unrighteousness, neither will my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should justify you till I die; for I will not let go my innocence,
Far be it from me that I should justify you. Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 but keeping fast to [my] righteousness I will by no means let it go: for I am not conscious to myself of having done any thing amiss.
I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Nay rather, but let mine enemies be as the overthrow of the ungodly, and they that rise up against me, as the destruction of transgressors.
“Let my enemy be as the wicked. Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the ungodly, that he holds to it? will he indeed trust in the Lord [and] be saved?
For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his prayer? or, when distress has come upon him,
Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?
10 has he any confidence before him? or will [God] hear him as he calls upon him?
Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?
11 Yet now I will tell you what is in the hand of the Lord: I will not lie concerning the things which are with the Almighty.
I will teach you about the hand of God. I will not conceal that which is with the Almighty.
12 Behold, you all know that you are adding vanity to vanity.
Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?
13 This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of oppressors shall come upon them from the Almighty.
“This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.
14 And if their children be many, they shall be for slaughter: and if they grow up, they shall beg.
If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword. His offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
15 And they that survive of him shall utterly perish, and no one shall pity their widows.
Those who remain of him will be buried in death. His widows will make no lamentation.
16 Even if he should gather silver as earth, and prepare gold as clay;
Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;
17 All these things shall the righteous gain, and the true-hearted shall possess his wealth.
he may prepare it, but the just will put it on, and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 And his house is gone like moths, and like a spider's web.
He builds his house as the moth, as a booth which the watchman makes.
19 The rich man shall lie down, and shall not continue: he has opened his eyes, and he is not.
He lies down rich, but he will not do so again. He opens his eyes, and he is not.
20 Pains have come upon him as water, and darkness has carried him away by night.
Terrors overtake him like waters. A storm steals him away in the night.
21 And a burning wind shall catch him, and he shall depart, and it shall utterly drive him out of his place.
The east wind carries him away, and he departs. It sweeps him out of his place.
22 And [God] shall cast [trouble] upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.
23 He shall cause [men] to clap their hands against them, and shall hiss him out of his place.
Men will clap their hands at him, and will hiss him out of his place.

< Job 27 >