Job Affirms His Righteousness
27 Job again took up his (A)discourse and said,
2 “As God lives, (B)who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, (C)who has embittered my soul,
3 For as long as [a]life is in me,
And the [b](D)breath of God is in my nostrils,
4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will (E)my tongue mutter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Until I die, (F)I will not [c]give up my integrity.
6 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
7 “May my enemy be as the wicked,
And [d]my opponent as the criminal.
8 For what is (H)the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life,
When God requires (I)his [e]life?
9 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
- Job 27:3 Lit breath
- Job 27:3 Or spirit
- Job 27:5 Lit remove from me
- Job 27:7 Lit one who rises up against me
- Job 27:8 Or soul
- Job 27:11 Lit hand
- Job 27:14 Lit the sword is for them
- Job 27:15 As in ancient versions; Heb his
- Job 27:18 As in ancient versions; Heb moth
- Job 27:19 As in ancient versions; Heb will be gathered
- Job 27:22 Lit hand
- Job 27:23 I.e., mock and ridicule him
Cross references
- Job 27:1 : Job 13:12; 29:1
- Job 27:2 : Job 16:11; 34:5
- Job 27:2 : Job 9:18
- Job 27:3 : Job 32:8; 33:4
- Job 27:4 : Job 6:28; 33:3
- Job 27:5 : Job 6:29
- Job 27:6 : Job 2:3; 13:18
- Job 27:8 : Job 8:13; 11:20
- Job 27:8 : Job 12:10
- Job 27:9 : Job 35:12, 13; Ps 18:41; Prov 1:28; Is 1:15; Jer 14:12; Mic 3:4
- Job 27:9 : Prov 1:27
- Job 27:10 : Job 22:26, 27; Ps 37:4; Is 58:14
- Job 27:13 : Job 20:29
- Job 27:13 : Job 15:20
- Job 27:14 : Job 15:22; 18:19
- Job 27:14 : Job 20:10
- Job 27:15 : Ps 78:64
- Job 27:17 : Job 20:18-21
- Job 27:18 : Job 8:15; 18:14
- Job 27:19 : Job 7:8, 21; 20:7
- Job 27:20 : Job 15:21
- Job 27:20 : Job 20:8; 34:20
- Job 27:21 : Job 21:18
- Job 27:21 : Job 7:10
- Job 27:22 : Jer 13:14; Ezek 5:11; 24:14
- Job 27:22 : Job 11:20
- Job 27:23 : Job 18:18; 20:8