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Job Continues His Final Speech

27 Then[a] Job again took up his discourse and said,

As God lives,[b] he has removed my justice,
and Shaddai has made my inner self[c] bitter.
For as long as[d] my breath is in me,
and the spirit of God is in my nose,
my lips surely will not speak falseness,
and my tongue surely will not utter deceit.
Far be it from me that I would say that you[e] are right;[f]
until I pass away, I will not put away from me my blamelessness.
I hold fast to my righteousness, and I will not let it go;
my heart will not blame any of my days.
“Let my enemy be like the wicked
and my opponent like the unrighteous,
for what is the hope of the godless when he cuts them off,
when God takes away his life?
Will God hear his cry of distress
when distress comes upon him?
10 Or, in Shaddai will he find delight?
Will he call upon God at all times?
11 “I will teach you[g] about[h] God’s hand;
I will not conceal that which is with Shaddai.
12 Look, you all have seen,
and why in the world[i] have you become altogether vain?[j]
13 “This is the portion of the wicked human being with God,
and they receive from Shaddai the inheritance of the ruthless.
14 If their children multiply, it is for the sword,
and his offspring do not have enough to eat.[k]
15 Their[l] survivors are buried through[m] the plague,
and their[n] widows do not weep.
16 If he heaps up silver like the dust
and fashions clothing like the clay,
17 he makes it ready, and the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 “He builds his house like the moth,
and like a booth that a watchman has made.
19 He goes to bed with wealth, but[o] he will do so no more;[p]
he opens his eyes, and it is gone.[q]
20 Terrors overtake him like the water;
a storm wind carries him off in the night.
21 The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone,
and it sweeps him away from his place.
22 And it hurls at him, and it has no compassion;
he will quickly flee from its power.
23 It claps its hands over him,
and it hisses at him from its place.

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:1 Hebrew “And”
  2. Job 27:2 Literally “The life of God”
  3. Job 27:2 Or “soul”
  4. Job 27:3 Literally “all of still”
  5. Job 27:5 Plural
  6. Job 27:5 Literally “I would declare you as in the right”
  7. Job 27:11 Plural
  8. Job 27:11 Or “concerning”
  9. Job 27:12 Literally “why this”
  10. Job 27:12 Literally “vain you have become vain”
  11. Job 27:14 Literally “they are not satisfied with bread”
  12. Job 27:15 Hebrew “His”
  13. Job 27:15 Or “because of”
  14. Job 27:15 Hebrew “his”
  15. Job 27:19 Hebrew “and”
  16. Job 27:19 Literally “he will not do again”
  17. Job 27:19 Literally “it is not”

Job Affirms His Righteousness

27 Job again took up his (A)discourse and said,

“As God lives, (B)who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, (C)who has embittered my soul,
For as long as [a]life is in me,
And the [b](D)breath of God is in my nostrils,
My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will (E)my tongue mutter deceit.
Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Until I die, (F)I will not [c]give up my integrity.
I have (G)kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not rebuke any of my days.

The State of the Godless

“May my enemy be as the wicked,
And [d]my opponent as the criminal.
For what is (H)the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life,
When God requires (I)his [e]life?
Will God (J)hear his cry
When (K)distress comes upon him?
10 Or will he take (L)pleasure in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
11 I will instruct you in the [f]power of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it;
Why then do you talk of nothing?

13 “This is (M)the portion of a wicked person from God,
And the inheritance which (N)tyrants receive from the Almighty:
14 Though his sons are many, [g]they are destined (O)for the sword;
And his (P)descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
15 His survivors will be buried because of the plague,
And [h]their (Q)widows will not be able to weep.
16 Though he piles up silver like dust,
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
17 He may prepare it, (R)but the righteous will wear it
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He has built his (S)house like the [i]spider’s web,
Or a hut which the watchman has made.
19 He lies down rich, but never [j]again;
He opens his eyes, and (T)it no longer exists.
20 (U)Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A storm steals him away (V)in the night.
21 The east (W)wind carries him away, and he is gone;
For it sweeps him (X)away from his place.
22 For it will hurl at him (Y)without mercy;
He will certainly try to (Z)flee from its [k]power.
23 People will [l]clap their hands at him,
And will (AA)whistle at him from their places.

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:3 Lit breath
  2. Job 27:3 Or spirit
  3. Job 27:5 Lit remove from me
  4. Job 27:7 Lit one who rises up against me
  5. Job 27:8 Or soul
  6. Job 27:11 Lit hand
  7. Job 27:14 Lit the sword is for them
  8. Job 27:15 As in ancient versions; Heb his
  9. Job 27:18 As in ancient versions; Heb moth
  10. Job 27:19 As in ancient versions; Heb will be gathered
  11. Job 27:22 Lit hand
  12. Job 27:23 I.e., mock and ridicule him