Job 27

1 And Job again took up his parable, and said:

And Job further continued and said in his parable,

2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my right; and the Almighty, who hath dealt bitterly with me;

[As] God lives, who has thus judge me; and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul;

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

verily, while my breath is yet in [me], and the breath of God which remains to me is in my nostrils,

4 Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, neither shall my tongue utter deceit;

my lips shall not speak evil words, neither shall my soul meditate unrighteous thoughts.

5 Far be it from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me.

Far be it from me that I should justify you till I die; for I will not let go my innocence,

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

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.

7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and let him that riseth up against me be as the unrighteous.

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.

8 For what is the hope of the godless, though he get him gain, when God taketh away his soul?

For what is the hope of the ungodly, that he holds to it? will he indeed trust in the Lord [and] be saved?

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

Will God hear his prayer? or, when distress has come upon him,

10 Will he have his delight in the Almighty, and call upon God at all times?

has he any confidence before him? or will [God] hear him as he calls upon him?

11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

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.

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

Behold, ye all know that ye are adding vanity to vanity.

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

This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of oppressors shall come upon them from the Almighty.

14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring shall not have bread enough.

And if their children be many, they shall be for slaughter: and if they grow up, they shall beg.

15 Those that remain of him shall be buried by pestilence, and his widows shall make no lamentation.

And they that survive of him shall utterly perish, and no one shall pity their widows.

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

Even if he should gather silver as earth, and prepare gold as clay;

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

All these things shall the righteous gain, and the truehearted shall possess his wealth.

18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth which the keeper maketh.

And his house is gone like moths, and like a spider's web.

19 He lieth down rich, but there shall be not to gather; he openeth his eyes, and his wealth is not.

The rich man shall lie down, and shall not continue: he has opened his eyes, and he is not.

20 Terrors overtake him like waters; a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

Pains have come upon him as water, and darkness has carried him away by night.

21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth; and it sweepeth him out of his place.

And a burning wind shall catch him, and he shall depart, and it shall utterly drive him out of his place.

22 Yea, it hurleth at him, and spareth not; he would fain flee from its power.

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

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

He shall cause [men] to clap their hands against them, and shall hiss him out of his place.