Job 27

1 Job resumed speaking and he said,

And Job again took up his parable, and said:

2 “As surely as God lives, who has taken away my justice, the Almighty, who made my life bitter,

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

3 while my life is yet in me, and the breath from God is in my nostrils, this is what I will do.

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

4 My lips will not speak wickedness, neither will my tongue speak deceit;

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

5 I will never admit that you three are right; until I die I will never deny my integrity.

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

6 I hold fast to my righteousness and will not let it go; my thoughts will not reproach me so long as 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 Let my enemy be like a wicked man; let him who rises up against me be like an unrighteous man.

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

8 For what is the hope of a godless man when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?

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

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

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

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

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

11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; I will not conceal the thoughts of the Almighty.

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

12 See, all of you have seen this yourselves; why then have you spoken all this nonsense?

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

13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of the oppressor that he receives from the Almighty:

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

14 If his children multiply, it is for the sword; his offspring will never have enough food.

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

15 Those who survive him will be buried by plague, and their widows will make no lament for them.

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

16 Though the wicked man heaps up silver like the dust, and heaps up clothing like clay,

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

17 he may heap up clothing, but righteous people will put it on, and innocent people will divide up the silver among themselves.

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

18 He builds his house like a spider, like a hut that a guard makes.

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

19 He lies down in bed rich, but he will not keep doing so; he opens his eyes, and everything is gone.

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

20 Terrors overtake him like waters; a storm takes him away in the night.

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

21 The east wind carries him away, and he leaves; it sweeps him out of his place.

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

22 It throws itself at him and does not stop; he tries to flee out of its hand.

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

23 It claps its hands at him in mockery; it hisses him out of his place.

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