Job 27
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 27
I Maintain the Rightness of My Cause.[a] 1 Job then continued his discourse:
2 “I swear by the living God who has denied me justice,
and by the Almighty who has filled my soul with bitterness,
3 that as long as I have a shred of life remaining in me
and the breath of God is in my nostrils,
4 never will my lips utter falsehood,
nor will my tongue be guilty of deceit.
5 “Never will I concede that you[b] are right;
until death I will not renounce my innocence.
6 I maintain the rightness of my cause;
my conscience does not reproach me for the life I have led.
7 “Let my enemy meet the fate of the wicked
and my adversary face the doom of the unjust.
8 For what hope does a godless man have when he is cut off,
when God takes away his life?
9 Will God pay heed to his cry
when disaster comes upon him?
10 Will he then take delight in the Almighty
and call upon him at all times?
11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
I will not conceal the designs of the Almighty.
12 Yet all of you have seen it yourselves;
how then can you waste your time with idle words?”
Zophar’s Third Speech[c]
The Law of the Violent
13 “This is the fate that God allots for the wicked man,
the inheritance that the violent receive from the Almighty.
14 Though numerous, his children are destined for the sword,
and his descendants will never have enough to eat.
15 His survivors will perish as a result of pestilence,
and their widows will not mourn for them.
16 “Even though he amasses silver like dust
and piles up clothes like clay,
17 it is the righteous who will wear those clothes
and the innocent who will divide the silver.
18 The house he builds is as flimsy as a cobweb
or like a shack that shelters the watchman.
19 He goes to bed a man of wealth for the final time;
he opens his eyes to find that it is all gone.
20 “By day terror overtakes him,
and at night a whirlwind carries him away.
21 An east wind seizes him and he is gone;
it sweeps him far away from his home.[d]
22 It assails him without pity,
and he flees from its force that menaces him.
23 His downfall is acclaimed with joy,
and he is derided wherever he may be.
Footnotes
- Job 27:1 Job gives a moving and energetic protest of his innocence, calling God as a witness. Going beyond the framework of the protest, the text describes the silence of God with which the man who has turned away from him will one day have to cope.
- Job 27:5 You: this word is plural in the original, indicating that Job is now speaking to his three friends as a group.
- Job 27:13 Despite its location here, this passage does not seem attributable to Job. It fits better with Zophar’s thinking because it picks up an idea he has already developed in his second speech: the punishment of the wicked (see Job 20:29); it fits rather well with Job 24:18-25.
- Job 27:21 See note on Job 15:2.
Job 27
King James Version
27 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
Job 27
Complete Jewish Bible
27 Iyov continued his speech:
2 “I swear by the living God,
who is denying me justice,
and by Shaddai,
who deals with me so bitterly,
3 that as long my life remains in me
and God’s breath is in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak unrighteousness,
or my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me to say you are right;
I will keep my integrity till the day I die.
6 I hold to my righteousness; I won’t let it go;
my heart will not shame me as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy meet the doom of the wicked;
my foe the fate of the unrighteous.
8 For what hope does the godless have from his gain
when God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his cry
when trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he take delight in Shaddai
and always call on God?
11 “I am teaching you how God uses his power,
not hiding what Shaddai is doing.
12 Look, you all can see for yourselves;
so why are you talking such empty nonsense?
13 “This is God’s reward for the wicked man,
the heritage oppressors receive from Shaddai:
14 if his sons become many, they go to the sword;
and his children never have enough to eat.
15 Those of his who remain are buried by plague,
and their widows do not weep.
16 Even if he piles up silver like dust
and stores away clothing [in mounds] like clay —
17 he may collect it, but the just will wear it,
and the upright divide up the silver.
18 He builds his house weak as a spider’s web,
as flimsy as a watchman’s shack.
19 He may lie down rich, but his wealth yields nothing;
when he opens his eyes, it isn’t there.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
at night a whirlwind steals him away.
21 The east wind carries him off, and he’s gone;
it sweeps him far from his place.
22 Yes, it hurls itself at him, sparing nothing;
he does all he can to flee from its power.
23 [People] clap their hands at him in derision
and hiss him out of his home.
Jobs 27
Det Norsk Bibelselskap 1930
27 Og Job blev ved å fremføre sin visdomstale og sa:
2 Så sant Gud lever, som har tatt min rett fra mig, den Allmektige, som har voldt mig bitter sorg
3 - for ennu er hele mitt livspust i mig og den Allmektiges ånde i min nese - :
4 Mine leber taler ikke urett, og min tunge taler ikke svik.
5 Det være langt fra mig å gi eder rett! Inntil jeg opgir ånden, lar jeg ikke min brødefrihet tas fra mig.
6 Jeg holder fast på min rettferdighet og slipper den ikke; mitt hjerte laster mig ikke for nogen av mine dager.
7 La min fiende stå der som en ugudelig, og min motstander som en urettferdig!
8 For hvad håp har den gudløse, når Gud avskjærer hans liv, når han tar hans sjel fra ham?
9 Hører vel Gud hans skrik når trengsel kommer over ham?
10 Eller kan han glede sig i den Allmektige, kan han påkalle Gud til enhver tid?
11 Jeg vil lære eder om Guds hånd; jeg vil ikke dølge hvad den Allmektige har i sinne.
12 I har jo alle selv sett det; hvorfor fører I da så tom en tale?
13 Dette er det ugudelige menneskes lodd hos Gud og den arv som voldsmennene får av den Allmektige:
14 Får han mange barn, så er de hjemfalt til sverdet; hans ætlinger får ikke brød å mette sig med.
15 De av dem som slipper unda, legges i graven ved pest, og enkene holder ikke sørgefest over dem.
16 Når han dynger op sølv som støv og samler sig klær som lere,
17 så blir det de rettferdige som klær sig med det han har samlet, og sølvet skal de skyldfrie dele.
18 Som møllet har han bygget sitt hus og som den hytte en markvokter lager sig.
19 Rik legger han sig, og intet er tatt bort; han slår sine øine op, og det[a] er der ikke.
20 Som en vannflom innhenter redsler ham, om natten fører en storm ham bort.
21 Østenvinden løfter ham op, så han farer avsted, og den blåser ham bort fra hans sted.
22 Gud skyter sine piler mot ham og sparer ham ikke; for hans hånd flyr han i hast.
23 Folk klapper i hendene og håner ham og piper ham bort fra hans sted.
Footnotes
- Jobs 27:19 det han eide.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.