Chapter 27

Job Affirms His Righteousness

1 Then Job 1continued his adiscourse and said,

2 “As God lives, awho has taken away my right,

And the Almighty, bwho has embittered my soul,

3 For as long as 1life is in me,

And the 2abreath of God is in my nostrils,

4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,

Nor will amy tongue mutter deceit.

5 “Far be it from me that I should declare you right;

Till I die aI will not put away my integrity from me.

6 “I ahold 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 1my opponent as the unjust.

8 “For what is athe hope of the godless 1when he is cut off,

When God requires bhis 2life?

9 “Will God ahear his cry

When bdistress comes upon him?

10 “Will he take adelight in the Almighty?

Will he call on God at all times?

11 “I will instruct you in the 1power of God;

What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

12 “Behold, all of you have seen it;

Why then do you 1act foolishly?

13 “This is athe portion of a wicked man from God,

And the inheritance which btyrants receive from the Almighty.

14 “Though his sons are many, 1they are destined afor the sword;

And his bdescendants will not be satisfied with bread.

15 “His survivors will be buried because of the plague,

And 1their awidows 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, abut the just will wear it

And the innocent will divide the silver.

18 “He has built his ahouse like the 1spider’s web,

Or as a hut which the watchman has made.

19 “He lies down rich, but never 1again;

He opens his eyes, and ait is no longer.

20 “aTerrors overtake him like a flood;

A tempest steals him away bin the night.

21 “The east awind carries him away, and he is gone,

For it whirls him baway from his place.

22 “For it will hurl at him awithout sparing;

He will surely try to bflee from its 1power.

23 “Men will clap their hands at him

And will ahiss him from his place.