Job 27

Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity

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

2  “As God lives, who has b taken away my right,
and the Almighty, who has c made my soul bitter,
 3 as long as my breath is in me,
and d the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
 4 my lips will not speak e falsehood,
and my tongue will not utter f deceit.
 5 Far be it from me to say that you are right;
till I die I will not put away my g integrity from me.
 6 I h hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
my heart does not i 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  j For what is the hope of the godless k when God cuts him off,
when God takes away his life?
 9  l Will God hear his cry
when distress comes upon him?
 10 Will he m take delight in the Almighty?
Will he call upon God at all times?
 11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
n 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  o “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
and the heritage that p oppressors receive from the Almighty:
 14 If his q children are multiplied, it is for r the sword,
and his descendants have not enough bread.
 15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
and his s widows do not weep.
 16 Though he t heap up silver like dust,
and pile up clothing like clay,
 17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and u the innocent will divide the silver.
 18 He builds his v house like a moth’s,
like w a booth that x a watchman makes.
 19 He goes to bed rich, but will y do so no more;
he opens his eyes, and z his wealth is gone.
 20  aa Terrors overtake him like ab a flood;
in the night a whirlwind ac carries him off.
 21  ad The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
it ae sweeps him out of his place.
 22 It ▼
▼ Or He (that is, God); also verse 23
 hurls at him ag without pity;
he flees from its ▼
▼ Or his; also verse 23
 power in headlong flight.
 23 It ai claps its hands at him
and aj hisses at him from its place.
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