Job 27

Job Affirms His Righteousness

1 Then Job ^{▼▼ Or again took up}continued his ^bdiscourse and said, 2 “As God lives, ^cwho has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, ^dwho has embittered my soul,
3 For as long as ^{▼▼ Lit breath}life is in me,
And the ^{▼▼ Or spirit
,} ^gbreath of God is in my nostrils,
4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will ^hmy tongue mutter deceit.
5 “Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die ⁱI will not put away my integrity from me.
6 “I ^jhold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not reproach any of my days.

The State of the Godless

7 “May my enemy be as the wicked
And ^{▼▼ Lit he who rises up against me}my opponent as the unjust.
8 “For what is ^lthe hope of the godless ^{▼▼ Or though he gains}when he is cut off,
When God requires ⁿhis ^{▼▼ Lit soul}life?
9 “Will God ^phear his cry
When ^qdistress comes upon him?
10 “Will he take ^rdelight in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
11 “I will instruct you in the ^{▼▼ Lit hand}power of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 “Behold, all of you have seen it;
Why then do you ^{▼▼ Or speak vanity}act foolishly?

13 “This is ^uthe portion of a wicked man from God,
And the inheritance which ^vtyrants receive from the Almighty.
14 “Though his sons are many, ^{▼▼ Lit the sword is for them}they are destined ^xfor the sword;
And his ^ydescendants will not be satisfied with bread.
15 “His survivors will be buried because of the plague,
And ^{▼▼ So ancient versions; Heb his}their ^aawidows will not be able to weep.
16 “Though he piles up silver like dust
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
17 He may prepare it, ^abbut the just will wear it
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 “He has built his ^achouse like the ^{▼▼ So ancient versions; Heb moth}spider’s web,
Or as a hut which the watchman has made.
19 “He lies down rich, but never ^{▼▼ So ancient versions; Heb will be gathered}again;
He opens his eyes, and ^afit is no longer.
20 ^ag“Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away ^ahin the night.
21 “The east ^aiwind carries him away, and he is gone,
For it whirls him ^ajaway from his place.
22 “For it will hurl at him ^akwithout sparing;
He will surely try to ^alflee from its ^{▼▼ Lit hand}power.
23 “Men will clap their hands at him
And will ^anhiss him from his place.