Job 27

1 Job again took up his parable, and said,

Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:

2 "As God lives, who has taken away my right, Shaddai, who has made my soul bitter.

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment, and the Almighty, who hath brought my soul to bitterness,

3 (For the length of my life is still in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);

As long as breath remaineth in me, and the spirit of God in my nostrils,

4 surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, neither shall my tongue utter deceit.

My lips shall not speak iniquity, neither shall my tongue contrive lying.

5 Far be it from me that I should justify you. Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

God forbid that I should judge you to be just: till I die I will not depart from my innocence.

6 I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My conscience will not accuse me as long as I live.

My justification, which I have begun to hold, I will not forsake: for my heart doth not reprehend me in all my life.

7 "Let my enemy be as the wicked. Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.

Let my enemy be as the ungodly, and my adversary as the wicked one.

8 For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

For what is the hope of the hypocrite if through covetousness he take by violence, and God deliver not his soul?

9 Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?

Will God hear his cry, when distress shall come upon him?

10 Will he delight himself in Shaddai, and call on God at all times?

Or can he delight himself in the Almighty, and call upon God at all times?

11 I will teach you about the hand of God. That which is with Shaddai will I not conceal.

I will teach you by the hand of God, what the Almighty hath, and I will not conceal it.

12 Look, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?

Behold you all know it, and why do you speak vain things without cause?

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

This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the inheritance of the violent, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

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

If his sons be multiplied, they shall be for the sword, and his grandsons shall not be filled with bread.

15 Those who remain of him shall be buried in death. His widows shall make no lamentation.

They that shall remain of him, shall be buried in death, and his widows shall not weep.

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

If he shall heap together silver as earth, and prepare raiment as clay,

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

He shall prepare indeed, but the just man shall be clothed with it: and the innocent shall divide the silver.

18 He builds his house as the moth, as a booth which the watchman makes.

He hath built his house as a moth, and as a keeper he hath made a booth.

19 He lies down rich, but he shall not do so again. He opens his eyes, and it is gone.

The rich man when he shall sleep shall take away nothing with him: he shall open his eyes and find nothing.

20 Terrors overtake him like waters. A storm steals him away in the night.

Poverty like water shall take hold on him, a tempest shall oppress him in the night.

21 The east wind carries him away, and he departs. It sweeps him out of his place.

A burning wind shall take him up, and carry him away, and as a whirlwind shall snatch him from his place.

22 For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.

And he shall cast upon him, and shall not spare: out of his hand he would willingly flee.

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

He shall clasp his hands upon him, and shall hiss at him, beholding his place.