27 Job continued his discourse, saying:
2 As God lives, who has deprived me of justice,(A)
and the Almighty who has made me bitter,(B)
3 as long as my breath is still in me
and the breath from God remains in my nostrils,(C)
4 my lips will not speak unjustly,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.
5 I will never affirm that you are right.
I will maintain my integrity[a](D) until I die.
6 I will cling to my righteousness and never let it go.
My conscience(E) will not accuse me as long as I live!
7 May my enemy be like the wicked
and my opponent like the unjust.
8 For what hope does the godless person(F) have when he is cut off,
when God takes away his life?(G)
9 Will God hear his cry
when distress comes on him?
10 Will he delight(H) in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
11 I will teach you about God’s power.
I will not conceal what the Almighty has planned.[b]
12 All of you have seen this for yourselves,
why do you keep up this empty talk?(I)
13 This is a wicked man’s lot(J) from God,
the inheritance the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
14 Even if his children increase, they are destined for the sword;
his descendants will never have enough food.
15 Those who survive him will be buried by the plague,
yet their widows will not weep for them.(K)
16 Though he piles up silver like dust
and heaps up fine clothing like clay—
17 he may heap it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide up his silver.(L)
18 The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon
or a shelter set up by a watchman.(M)
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;
when he opens his eyes, it is gone.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;(N)
a storm(O) wind sweeps him away at night.
21 An east wind picks him up, and he is gone;
it carries him away from his place.
22 It blasts at him without mercy,
while he flees desperately from its force.
23 It claps(P) its hands at him
and scoffs at him from its place.
Footnotes
Cross references
- 27:2 : Jb 19:6; 34:5
- 27:2 : Ex 1:14; Ru 1:20; Jb 3:20
- 27:3 : Gn 2:7; Jb 12:10; 33:4
- 27:5 : Jb 2:3,9; 31:6; Pr 11:3
- 27:6 : Ac 24:16; 1Co 4:4; Rv 9:11
- 27:8 : Jb 17:8; 20:5; 36:13
- 27:8 : Jb 8:13; Mt 16:26; Lk 12:20
- 27:10 : Jb 22:26; Ps 37:4; Is 55:2
- 27:12 : Jb 2:10; 15:2
- 27:13 : Jb 20:29; 31:2; Ps 17:14
- 27:15 : Jb 18:19; Ps 78:64; Jr 22:10
- 27:17 : Pr 13:22; 28:8; Ec 2:26
- 27:18 : Jb 4:19; Is 1:8; Jnh 4:5
- 27:20 : Jb 18:11; 20:25; Jr 6:25
- 27:20 : Jb 21:18; Ps 83:15; Is 29:6
- 27:23 : Nm 24:10; Jb 34:37; Lm 2:15