Job 27

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

²As God lives , who has taken away my right , and the Almighty , who has made my soul bitter ,

³as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils ,

⁴my lips will not speak falsehood , and my tongue will not utter deceit .

⁵Far be it from me to say that you are right ; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

⁶I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go ; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days .

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

⁸For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off , when God takes away his life ?

⁹Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?

¹⁰Will he take delight in the Almighty ? Will he call upon God at all times ?

¹¹I will teach you concerning the hand of God ; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal .

¹²Behold , all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain ?

¹³This is the portion of a wicked man with God , and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty :

¹⁴If his children are multiplied , it is for the sword , and his descendants have not enough bread .

¹⁵Those who survive him the pestilence buries , and his widows do not weep .

¹⁶Though he heap up silver like dust , and pile up clothing like clay ,

¹⁷he may pile it up , but the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver .

¹⁸He builds his house like a moth’s , like a booth that a watchman makes .

¹⁹He goes to bed rich , but will do so no more ; he opens his eyes , and his wealth is gone .

²⁰Terrors overtake him like a flood ; in the night a whirlwind carries him off.

²¹The east wind lifts him up and he is gone ; it sweeps him out of his place .

²²It hurls at him without pity ; he flees from its power in headlong flight .

²³It claps its hands at him and hisses at him from its place .