Job 27

₂“As God lives, who has taken away my right,

and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

₃as long as my breath is in me,

and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

₄my lips will not speak falsehood,

and my tongue will not utter deceit.

₅Far be it from me to say that you are right;

till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

₆I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;

my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

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?

₉Will God hear his cry

when distress comes upon him?

₁₀Will he take delight in the Almighty?

Will he call upon God at all times?

₁₁I will teach you concerning the hand of God;

what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

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:

₁₄If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,

and his descendants have not enough bread.

₁₅Those who survive him the pestilence buries,

and his widows do not weep.

₁₆Though he heap up silver like dust,

and pile 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 booth that a watchman makes.

₁₉He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;

he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.

₂₀Terrors overtake him like a flood;

in the night a whirlwind carries him off.

₂₁The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;

it sweeps him out of his place.

₂₂It hurls at him without pity;

he flees from its power in headlong flight.

₂₃It claps its hands at him

and hisses at him from its place.