Job 27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Job Maintains His Integrity
27 Job again took up his discourse and said:(A)
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
and the Almighty,[a] who has made my soul bitter,(B)
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.(C)
5 Far be it from me to say that you are right;
until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.(D)
6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
my heart will not reproach me as long as I live.(E)
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,
and may my opponent be like the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off,
when God takes away their lives?(F)
9 Will God hear their cry
when trouble comes upon them?(G)
10 Will they take delight in the Almighty?[b]
Will they call upon God at all times?(H)
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
that which is with the Almighty[c] I will not conceal.
12 All of you have seen it yourselves;
why then have you become altogether vain?
13 “This is the portion of the wicked with God
and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:[d](I)
14 If their children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
and their offspring have not enough to eat.(J)
15 Those who survive them the pestilence buries,
and their widows make no lamentation.(K)
16 Though they heap up silver like dust
and pile up clothing like clay,(L)
17 they may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.(M)
18 They build their houses like nests,
like booths made by sentinels of the vineyard.
19 They go to bed with wealth but will do so no more;
they open their eyes, and it is gone.(N)
20 Terrors overtake them like a flood;
in the night a whirlwind carries them off.(O)
21 The east wind lifts them up, and they are gone;
it sweeps them out of their place.(P)
22 It[e] hurls at them without pity;
they flee from its[f] power in headlong flight.(Q)
23 It[g] claps its[h] hands at them
and hisses at them from its[i] place.(R)
Job 27
Common English Bible
Job rejects Bildad’s argument
27 Then Job took up his topic again:
2 As God lives, who rejected my legal claim,
the Almighty, who made me bitter,
3 as long as breath is in me
and God’s breath is in my nostrils—
4 my lips will utter no wickedness;
my tongue will mumble no deceit.
5 I will not agree that you are right.
Until my dying day, I won’t give up my integrity.
6 I will insist on my innocence, never surrendering it;
my conscience will never blame me for what I have done.[a]
Job curses his enemies
7 Let my enemy be like the wicked,
my opposition like the vicious.
8 For what hope has the godless when God cuts them off,
when he takes them away.
9 Will God hear their cries
when distress comes to them;
10 will they delight in the Almighty,
call God at any time?
Job’s view of his enemies’ fate
11 I will teach you God’s power,
not hide what pertains to the Almighty.
12 Look, those of you who recognize this—
why then this empty talk?
13 This is the wicked’s portion with God,
the inheritance that the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
14 If their children increase, they belong to the sword;
their offspring won’t have enough bread.
15 Their survivors will be buried with the dead;
their widows won’t weep.
16 If they store up silver like dust,
amass clothing like clay,
17 they may amass, but the righteous will wear it;
the innocent will divide the silver.
18 They built their houses like nests,
like a hut made by a watchman.
19 They lie down rich, but no longer;
open their eyes, but it’s missing.
20 Terrors overtake them like waters;
a tempest snatches them by night;
21 an east wind lifts them, and they are gone,
removes them from their places,
22 throws itself on them without mercy;
they flee desperately from its force.
23 It claps its hands over them,
hisses at them from their place.
Footnotes
- Job 27:6 Or for my days
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible