1Job continued to speak. He said,2‘God hasn’t treated me fairly. The Mighty One has made my life bitter. You can be sure that God lives. And here’s something else you can be sure of.3As long as I have life and God gives me breath,4my mouth won’t say evil things. My lips won’t tell lies.5I’ll never admit you people are right. Until I die, I’ll say I’m telling the truth.6I’ll continue to say I’m right. I’ll never let go of that. I won’t blame myself as long as I live.7‘May my enemies suffer like sinful people! May my attackers be punished like those who aren’t fair!8What hope do ungodly people have when their lives are cut short? What hope do they have when God takes away their lives?9God won’t listen to their cry when trouble comes on them.10They won’t take delight in the Mighty One. They’ll never call out to God.11‘I’ll teach all of you about God’s power. I won’t hide the things the Mighty One does.12You have seen those things yourselves. So why do you continue your useless talk?13‘Here’s what God does to sinful people. Here’s what those who are mean receive from the Mighty One.14All their children will be killed by swords. They’ll never have enough to eat.15A plague will kill those who are left alive. The widows of sinful men won’t even weep over their own children.16Sinners might store up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay.17But people who do what is right will wear those clothes. People who haven’t done anything wrong will divide up that silver.18The house an evil person builds is like a moth’s cocoon. It’s like a hut that’s made by someone on guard duty.19Sinful people lie down wealthy, but their wealth is taken away. When they open their eyes, everything is gone.20Terrors sweep over them like a flood. A storm takes them away during the night.21The east wind carries them off, and they are gone. It sweeps them out of their houses.22It blows against them without mercy. They try to escape from its power.23It claps its hands and makes fun of them. It hisses them out of their houses.’
Job 27
English Standard Version
Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity
1And Job again took up his discourse, and said: (Nu 23:7; Job 29:1)2“As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, (Ru 1:20; 2Ki 4:27; Job 34:5)3as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, (Ge 2:7; Job 33:4)4my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. (Job 13:7)5Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. (Job 2:3; Job 2:9; Job 13:15)6I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days. (Job 2:3; Ac 23:1; Ac 24:16; 1Co 4:4)7“Let my enemy be as the wicked, and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.8For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life? (Job 8:13; Mt 16:26; Lu 12:20)9Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? (Job 35:12; Ps 18:41; Ps 66:18; Pr 1:28; Pr 15:29; Isa 1:15; Jer 11:11; Jer 14:12; Eze 8:18; Mic 3:4; Zec 7:13)10Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? (Job 22:26)11I will teach you concerning the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal. (Job 10:13; Job 23:14)12Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?13“This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty: (Job 6:23; Job 15:20; Job 18:21; Job 20:29; Job 31:2)14If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword, and his descendants have not enough bread. (De 28:41; Jer 15:2; Ho 9:13; Ho 9:16)15Those who survive him the pestilence buries, and his widows do not weep. (Ps 78:64)16Though he heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay, (Zec 9:3)17he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver. (Pr 13:22; Ec 2:26)18He builds his house like a moth’s, like a booth that a watchman makes. (Job 8:14; So 1:6; So 8:11; Isa 1:8)19He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more; he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone. (Job 24:24; Jer 8:2; Eze 29:5)20Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off. (Job 18:11; Job 22:11; Job 34:20; Job 34:25; Job 36:20)21The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. (Job 8:18; Job 30:22)22It[1] hurls at him without pity; he flees from its[2] power in headlong flight. (Job 16:13)23It claps its hands at him and hisses at him from its place. (2Ch 29:8; Jer 49:17; La 2:15; Eze 25:6; Eze 27:36; Na 3:19; Zep 2:15)