Job 27

Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity

1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

2  "As God lives, who has taken away my right,
and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3  as long as my breath is in me,
and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4  my lips will not speak falsehood,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.
5  Far be it from me to say that you are right;
till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6  I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

7  "Let my enemy be as the wicked,
and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
8  For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
when God takes away his life?
9  Will God hear his cry
when distress comes upon him?
10  Will he take delight in the Almighty?
Will he call upon God at all times?
11  I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12  Behold, 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,
and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14  If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
and his descendants have not enough bread.
15  Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
and his widows do not weep.
16  Though he heap up silver like dust,
and pile up clothing like clay,
17  he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.
18  He builds his house like a moth's,
like a booth that a watchman makes.
19  He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;
he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
20  Terrors overtake him like a flood;
in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
21  The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
it sweeps him out of his place.
22  Itt hurls at him without pity;
he flees from itst power in headlong flight.
23  It claps its hands at him
and hisses at him from its place.

Job 27

A Protest of Innocence

1 And Job took up his discourse again:t

2 “As surely as God lives,t who has denied me justice,t
the Almighty, who has made my life bittert –

3 for whilet my spiritt is still in me,
and the breath from God is in my nostrils,

4 myt lips will not speak wickedness,
and my tongue will whispert no deceit.

5 I will nevert declare that you threet are in the right;
until I die, I will not set aside my integrity!

6 I will maintain my righteousness
and never let it go;
my consciencet will not reproach me
for as long as I live.t

The Condition of the Wicked

7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,s
my adversaryt like the unrighteous.s

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

9 Does God listen to his cry
when distress overtakes him?

10 Will he find delightt in the Almighty?
Will he call out to God at all times?

11 I will teach yout about the powert of God;
What is on the Almighty’s mindt I will not conceal.

12 If you yourselves have all seen this,
Why in the worldt do you continue this meaningless talk?t

13 This is the portion of the wicked man
allotted by God,t
the inheritance that evildoers receive
from the Almighty.

14 If his children increase – it is for the sword!t
His offspring never have enough to eat.t

15 Those who survive him are buried by the plague,t
and theirs widows do not mourn for them.

16 If he piles up silver like dust
and stores up clothing like mounds of clay,

17 what he stores upt a righteous man will wear,
and an innocent man will inherit his silver.

18 The house he builds is as fragile as a moth’s cocoon,t
like a hutt that a watchman has made.

19 He goes to bed wealthy, but will do so no more.s
When he opens his eyes, it is all gone.t

20 Terrors overwhelm him like a flood;t
at night a whirlwind carries him off.

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

22 It hurls itself against him without pityt
as he flees headlong from its power.

23 It clapst its hands at him in derision
and hisses him away from his place.t