27 3 The constancy and perfectness of Job. 13 The reward of the wicked and of the tyrants.

Moreover Job proceeded and continued his parable, saying,

The living God hath taken away my [a]judgment: for the Almighty hath put my soul in bitterness.

Yet so long as my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God in my nostrils,

[b]My lips surely shall speak no wickedness, and my tongue shall utter no deceit.

God forbid, that I should [c]justify you: until I die, I will never take away mine [d]innocency from myself.

I will keep my righteousness, and will not forsake it: mine heart shall not reprove me of my [e]days.

Mine enemy shall be as the wicked, and he that riseth against me, as the unrighteous.

For what [f]hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped up riches, if God take away his soul?

Will God hear his cry, when trouble cometh upon him?

10 Will he set his delight on the Almighty? will he call upon God at all times?

11 I will teach you what is in the hand of [g]God, and I will not conceal that which is with the Almighty.

12 Behold, all ye yourselves [h]have seen it: why then do you thus vanish [i]vanity?

13 This is the [j]portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of tyrants, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

14 If his children be in great number, the sword shall destroy them, and his posterity shall not be satisfied with bread.

15 His remnant shall be buried in death, and his widows [k]shall not weep.

16 Though he should heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay,

17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

18 He buildeth his house as the [l]moth, and as a lodge that the watchman maketh.

19 When the rich man sleepeth, [m]he shall not be gathered to his fathers: they opened their eyes, and he was gone.

20 Terrors shall take him as waters, and a tempest shall carry him away by night.

21 The East wind shall take him away, and he shall depart: and it shall hurl him out of his place.

22 And God shall cast upon him and not spare, though he would fain flee out of his hand.

23 Every man shall clap their hands at him, and hiss at him out of their place.

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:2 He hath so sore afflicted me, that men cannot judge of mine uprightness: for they judge only by outward signs.
  2. Job 27:4 However men judge of me, yet will I not speak contrary to that which I have said, and so do wickedly in betraying the truth.
  3. Job 27:5 Which condemns me as a wicked man, because the hand of God is upon me.
  4. Job 27:5 I will not confess that God doth thus punish me for my sins.
  5. Job 27:6 Of my life past.
  6. Job 27:8 What advantage hath the dissembler to gain never so much, seeing he shall lose his own soul?
  7. Job 27:11 That is, what God reserveth to himself, and whereof he giveth not the knowledge to all.
  8. Job 27:12 That is, these secret judgments of God, and yet do not understand them.
  9. Job 27:12 Why maintain you then this error?
  10. Job 27:13 Thus will God order the wicked, and punish him even unto his posterity.
  11. Job 27:15 None shall lament him.
  12. Job 27:18 Which breedeth in another man’s possession or garment, but is soon shaken out.
  13. Job 27:19 He meaneth, that the wicked tyrants shall not have a quiet death, nor be buried honorably.

Job’s Final Word to His Friends

27 And Job continued his discourse:(A)

“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(B)
    the Almighty,(C) who has made my life bitter,(D)
as long as I have life within me,
    the breath of God(E) in my nostrils,
my lips will not say anything wicked,
    and my tongue will not utter lies.(F)
I will never admit you are in the right;
    till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(G)
I will maintain my innocence(H) and never let go of it;
    my conscience(I) will not reproach me as long as I live.(J)

“May my enemy be like the wicked,(K)
    my adversary(L) like the unjust!
For what hope have the godless(M) when they are cut off,
    when God takes away their life?(N)
Does God listen to their cry
    when distress comes upon them?(O)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(P)
    Will they call on God at all times?

11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
    the ways(Q) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(R)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
    Why then this meaningless talk?

13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
    the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(S)
14 However many his children,(T) their fate is the sword;(U)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.(V)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.(W)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(X)
    and clothes like piles of clay,(Y)
17 what he lays up(Z) the righteous will wear,(AA)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.(AB)
18 The house(AC) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(AD)
    like a hut(AE) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(AF)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(AG)
20 Terrors(AH) overtake him like a flood;(AI)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.(AJ)
21 The east wind(AK) carries him off, and he is gone;(AL)
    it sweeps him out of his place.(AM)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(AN)
    as he flees headlong(AO) from its power.(AP)
23 It claps its hands(AQ) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”(AR)