Job 27

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

Job replied again [to his three friends],

2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my right; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

“Almighty God has refused to treat me justly/fairly. He has caused me to feel bitter/resentful. But [just as surely] as he lives,

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

as long as God’s Spirit enables me to breathe,

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

I will not lie; I [SYN] will not say anything to deceive anyone.

5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me.

I will never admit that what you [three] have said is true; until the day that I die, I will insist that I have not done things that are wrong.

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

I will say that I am innocent, and never (say anything different/change what I say); my conscience will never reproach me as long as I live.

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

“I want my enemies to be [punished] like all wicked [people are punished]; I want [God to punish] those who oppose me like [he punishes all] unrighteous [people].

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

When [it is time for] God [to] get rid of godless/wicked people and [to] cause them to die, there is absolutely nothing good [RHQ] that they can confidently expect [to happen to them].

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

When they experience troubles, (will God hear them call [out to him for help]?/God certainly will not hear them call out [to him for help].) [RHQ]

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

(Will they be happy about what Almighty [God] does?/They certainly will not be happy about what Almighty [God] does.) [RHQ] (Will they [begin to] pray to him frequently?/They certainly will not [begin to] pray to him frequently.) [RHQ] [Certainly not!]

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

“I will teach you [three] something about the power [MTY] of Almighty God [MTY]; I will reveal what he is thinking.

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

But you [three] have seen for yourselves [what God has done]; so (why are you saying such nonsense?/you should not be saying such nonsense.) [RHQ]

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

“[I will tell you] what Almighty God does to wicked people, the things that he does to people who oppress others.

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

[Even] if they have many children, [many of] those children will die in wars [MTY], and their [other] children will [die because they do] not have enough food to eat.

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

Their children who are still alive will die from diseases, and their widows will not [even] mourn for them.

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

Sometimes [wicked people] accumulate a huge amount [SIM] of silver and pile up clothes like [SIM] those clothes were a pile of clay,

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

but [those wicked people will die, and then] righteous people will wear those clothes, and honest/innocent people will get their silver and divide it [among themselves].

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

The houses that they build are [as frail/fragile] as [SIM] spider webs, or they are like flimsy huts that watchmen live in [while they guard people’s fields].

19 He lieth down rich, but he shall not be gathered; he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

Wicked people are rich when they lie down [at night], but when they wake up [in the morning, they find out that] their money has disappeared.

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

“Things that terrify them [PRS] strike them like a flood [SIM]; during the night a whirlwind carries them away.

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

[It is as though] the wind from the east picks them up and carries them away from their homes, and they disappear.

22 For [God] shall hurl at him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

That wind strikes them without pitying them while they are running away, trying to escape from its force/power [MTY].

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

That wind [is like someone] clapping his hands [MET] at them [to ridicule them], howling at them wherever they run to.”