Job, 27

¹ Job continued his discourse,^*1 saying:

² “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice, As the Almighty lives, who has made me^*1 bitter,

³ As long as my breath is within me And spirit from God is in my nostrils,

⁴ My lips will not speak unrighteousness; Nor will my tongue mutter deceit!

⁵ It is unthinkable for me to declare you men righteous! Until I die, I will not renounce^*1 my integrity!

⁶ I will maintain my righteousness and never let it go; My heart will not condemn^*1 me as long as I live.^*2

⁷ May my enemy become like the wicked, Those assaulting me like the unrighteous.

⁸ For what hope does the godless man^*1 have when he is destroyed, When God takes away his life?^*2

⁹ Will God hear his outcry When distress comes upon him?

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

¹¹ I will teach you about the power^*1 of God; I will not hide anything about the Almighty.

¹² Look! If you have all seen visions, Why are your speeches completely empty?

¹³ This is the wicked man’s share from God, The inheritance that tyrants receive from the Almighty.

¹⁴ If his sons become many, they will fall by the sword, And his descendants will not have enough food.

¹⁵ Those who survive him will be buried by the plague, And their widows will not weep for them.

¹⁶ Even if he piles up silver like the dust And stores up fine clothing like the clay,

¹⁷ Though he may gather it, The righteous man will wear it, And the innocent will divide up his silver.

¹⁸ The house he builds is as fragile as a moth’s cocoon, Like a shelter made by a watchman.

¹⁹ He will go to bed rich but will gather nothing; When he opens his eyes, nothing will be there.

²⁰ Terror overtakes him like a flood; A storm snatches him away by night.

²¹ An east wind will carry him off, and he will be gone; It sweeps him away from his place.

²² It will hurl itself at him without pity As he desperately tries to flee from its force.

²³ It claps its hands at him And whistles at him from its place.^*1