Job 27
New King James Version
Job Maintains His Integrity
27 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
2 “As God lives, (A)who has taken away my justice,
And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3 As long as my breath is in me,
And the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me
That I should say you are right;
Till I die (B)I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I (C)hold fast, and will not let it go;
(D)My heart shall not [a]reproach me as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,
And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.
8 (E)For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain much,
If God takes away his life?
9 (F)Will God hear his cry
When trouble comes upon him?
10 (G)Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call on God?
11 “I will teach you [b]about the hand of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Surely all of you have seen it;
Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?
13 “This(H) is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
14 (I)If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death,
And (J)their[c] widows shall not weep,
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust,
And piles up clothing like clay—
17 He may pile it up, but (K)the just will wear it,
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house like a [d]moth,
(L)Like a [e]booth which a watchman makes.
19 The rich man will lie down,
[f]But not be gathered up;
He opens his eyes,
And he is (M)no more.
20 (N)Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
It sweeps him out of his place.
22 It hurls against him and does not (O)spare;
He flees desperately from its [g]power.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him out of his place.
Job 27
English Standard Version
Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity
27 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[a] hurls at him (AF)without pity;
he flees from its[b] power in headlong flight.
23 It (AG)claps its hands at him
and (AH)hisses at him from its place.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
