Job 27

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁹ Will God hear his cry, when trouble comes upon him?

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

¹¹ I will teach you concerning the hand of God; 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 "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage which oppressors receive from the Almighty:

¹⁴ If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring have not enough to eat.

¹⁵ Those who survive him the pestilence buries, and their widows make no lamentation.

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

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

¹⁸ The house which he builds is like a spider's web, like a booth which a watchman makes.

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

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

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

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

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