Job 27

1 Job continued his discourse, saying:

2 As God lives, who has deprived me of justice, ^a
and the ^{▼▼God Almighty: The Hebrew word is El Shaddai; El = "God," but the meaning of Shaddai is disputed; traditionally it is translated "Almighty".}Almighty who has made me bitter, ^c
3 as long as my breath is still in me
and the breath from God remains in my nostrils, ^d
4 my lips will not speak unjustly,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.
5 I will never affirm that you are right.
I will maintain my integrity ^{▼▼Lit will not remove my integrity from me
,} ^f until I die.
6 I will cling to my righteousness and never let it go.
My conscience ^g will not accuse me as long as I live!

7 May my enemy be like the wicked
and my opponent like the unjust.
8 For what hope does the godless man ^h have when he is cut off,
when God takes away his life? ⁱ
9 Will God hear his cry
when distress comes on him?
10 Will he delight ^j in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
11 I will teach you about God’s power.
I will not conceal what the Almighty has planned. ^{▼▼Lit what is with the Almighty}
12 All of you have seen this for yourselves,
why do you keep up this empty talk? ^l

13 This is a wicked man’s lot ^m from God,
the inheritance the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
14 Even if his children increase, they are destined for the sword;
his descendants will never have enough food.
15 Those who survive him will be buried by the plague,
yet their widows will not weep for them. ⁿ
16 Though he piles up silver like dust
and heaps up a wardrobe like clay –
17 he may heap it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide up his silver. ^o
18 The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon
or a booth set up by a watchman. ^p
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;
when he opens his eyes, it is gone.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; ^q
a storm ^r wind sweeps him away at night.
21 An east wind picks him up, and he is gone;
it carries him away from his place.
22 It blasts at him without mercy,
while he flees desperately from its grasp.
23 It claps ^s its hands at him
and scorns him from its place.