Job 27

1Job continued his discourse:

2“As God lives, who has denied me justice, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

3as long as my breath is still in me and the breath of God is in my nostrils,

4my lips will not speak injustice, and my tongue will not utter deceit.

5Far be it from me to declare that you are right; until I die, I will not give up my integrity.

6I hold fast to my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart will not reproach me for any of my days.

7Let my enemy be like the wicked, and whoever rises against me like the unjust.

8For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

9Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?

10Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?

11I will teach you about the power of God; I will not conceal what is with the Almighty.

12Look, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then do you talk such empty nonsense?

13This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance tyrants receive from the Almighty:

14If his children are many, they are destined for the sword, and his descendants will never have enough bread.

15Those who survive him will be buried by plague, and his widows will not weep.

16Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up clothing like clay,

17he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver.

18He builds his house like a moth’s, like a hut a watchman makes.

19He lies down rich, but he will not be gathered in; he opens his eyes, and he is gone.

20Terrors overtake him like a flood; a storm steals him away in the night.

21The east wind carries him off, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.

22It hurls itself at him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.

23It claps its hands at him and hisses at him from its place.