Job 27

² “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
    the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter
³ (for the length of my life is still in me,
    and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);
⁴ surely my lips will not speak unrighteousness,
    neither will my tongue utter deceit.
⁵ Far be it from me that I should justify you.
    Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
⁶ I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go.
    My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.

⁷ “Let my enemy be as the wicked.
    Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.

⁸ For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
⁹     Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?
¹⁰ Will he delight himself in the Almighty,
    and call on God at all times?
¹¹ I will teach you about the hand of God.
    I will not conceal that which is with the Almighty.
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,
    the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.
¹⁴ If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword.
    His offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
¹⁵ Those who remain of him will be buried in death.
    His widows will make no lamentation.
¹⁶ Though he heap up silver as the dust,
    and prepare clothing as the clay;
¹⁷ he may prepare it, but the just will put it on,
    and the innocent will divide the silver.
¹⁸ He builds his house as the moth,
    as a booth which the watchman makes.
¹⁹ He lies down rich, but he will not do so again.
    He opens his eyes, and he is not.
²⁰ Terrors overtake him like waters.
    A storm steals him away in the night.
²¹ The east wind carries him away, and he departs.
    It sweeps him out of his place.
²² For it hurls at him, and does not spare,
    as he flees away from his hand.
²³ Men will clap their hands at him,
    and will hiss him out of his place.

Job 26   ■   Job 28