Job 15:17-35

Common English Bible

¹⁷ Listen to me; I will argue with you;
    what I’ve seen, I will declare to you;
¹⁸     what the wise have told and have not concealed from their family,
¹⁹     to whom alone the earth was given
        and no stranger passed in their midst.
²⁰ All the days of the wicked are painful;
    the number of years reserved for the hateful;
²¹ a sound of terror pierces^[a] their ears;
    when safe, raiders overtake them.
²² They can’t count on turning away from darkness;
    they are destined for a sword.
²³ They wander about for bread. “Where is it?”
    They know that their day of darkness is fixed.
²⁴ Adversity and stress scare them,
    master them like a king ready to strike;
²⁵     for they raise a fist against God
        and try to overpower the Almighty.
²⁶ They run toward him aggressively,
    with a massive and strong shield.
²⁷ They cover their face with grease
    and make their loins gross.
²⁸ They lived in ruined cities,
    unoccupied houses that turn to rubble.
²⁹ They won’t get rich; their wealth won’t last;
    their property won’t extend over the earth.
³⁰ They can’t turn away from darkness;
    a flame will dry out their shoots,
        and they will be taken away by the wind from his mouth.
³¹ They shouldn’t trust in what has no worth,
    for their reward will be worthless.
³² Before their branch is formed,
        before it is green,
³³     like the vine, they will drop early grapes
        and cast off their blossoms like the olive.
³⁴ The ruthless gang is barren,
        and fire consumes the tents of bribers.
³⁵     They conceive toil and give birth to sorrow;
        their belly establishes deceit.