Job 27

¹And Job again took up the word and said,

²By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;

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

⁴Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false.

⁵Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.

⁶I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life.

⁷Let my hater be like the evil man, and let him who comes against me be as the sinner.

⁸For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul?

⁹Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?

¹⁰Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times?

¹¹I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.

¹²Truly, you have all seen it yourselves; why then have you become completely foolish?

¹³This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.

¹⁴If his children are increased, it is for the sword; and his offspring have not enough bread.

¹⁵When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them.

¹⁶Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing;

¹⁷He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.

¹⁸His house has no more strength than a spider's thread, or a watchman's tent.

¹⁹He goes to rest full of wealth, but does so for the last time: on opening his eyes, he sees it there no longer.

²⁰Fears overtake him like rushing waters; in the night the storm-wind takes him away.

²¹The east wind takes him up and he is gone; he is forced violently out of his place.

²²God sends his arrows against him without mercy; he goes in flight before his hand.

²³Men make signs of joy because of him, driving him from his place with sounds of hissing.

Job 27

¹Job again took up his parable, and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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