Job 27

¹Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

²As God liveth, who hath rejected my cause, And the Almighty, who hath afflicted my soul;

³As long as my breath is in me, And the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

⁴Never shall my lips speak falsehood, Nor my tongue utter deceit.

⁵God forbid that I should acknowledge you to be just: To my last breath will I assert my integrity.

⁶I will hold fast my innocence, and not let it go; My heart reproacheth me for no part of my life.

⁷May mine enemy be as the wicked, And he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous!

⁸For what is the hope of the wicked, when God cutteth off his web, And taketh away his life?

⁹Will he listen to his cry, When trouble cometh upon him?

¹⁰Can he delight himself in the Almighty, And call at all times upon God?

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

¹²Behold, ye yourselves have all seen it; Why then do ye cherish such vain thoughts?

¹³This is the portion of the wicked man from God,—The inheritance which oppressors receive from the Almighty.

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

¹⁵Those of them that escape shall be buried by Death, And their widows shall not bewail them.

¹⁶Though he heap up silver as dust, And procure raiment as clay,—

¹⁷He may procure, but the righteous shall wear it, And the innocent shall share the silver.

¹⁸He buildeth his house like the moth, Or like the shed which the watchman maketh.

¹⁹The rich man lieth down, and is not buried; In the twinkling of an eye he is no more.

²⁰Terrors pursue him like a flood; A tempest stealeth him away in the night.

²¹The east wind carrieth him away, and he perisheth; Yea, it sweepeth him away from his place.

²²God sendeth his arrows at him, and doth not spare; He would fain escape from His hand.

²³Men clap their hands at him, And hiss him away from his place.

¹Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

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

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

⁴My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

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

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

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

⁸For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

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

¹⁰Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

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

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

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

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

¹⁵Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

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

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

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

¹⁹The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

²⁰Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

²¹The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

²²For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

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