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Job Asserts His Innocence

27 Job continued with his discussion and said:

“The living God has withheld justice from me;
    the Almighty has made my life[a] bitter.
As long as I can breathe;
    as long as God’s breath is in my nostrils,
I won’t speak lies
    nor will I utter deceit.
Far be it from me to admit that you’re right!
    I intend to maintain my integrity[b] even if it kills me!
I’ll retain my righteousness and not compromise it;
    my conscience won’t rebuke me at any time.

“May my enemy be like the wicked;
    my adversary like the unjust.[c]
For where is the hope of the godless when he is eliminated;
    when God takes away his life?
Will God hear his cry
    when distress overtakes him?
10 Will he take delight in the Almighty?
    Will he call on God at all times?”

On the Demise of the Wicked

11 “I’ll teach you about the power[d] of God,
    that which is with the Almighty I won’t conceal.
12 Look! All of you have been watching,
    so why have you become so completely worthless?

13 “This is what a wicked person[e] inherits from God,
    and what the ruthless will receive from the Almighty:
14 If he has many children,
    their destiny is to die by the sword,
    and his descendants won’t have enough food.
15 Those who do survive him disease will bury,
    and his widow won’t even weep.

16 “Though he hoards silver[f] like dust,
    and stores away garments like clay,
17 whatever he stores up, the righteous will wear,
    and the innocent will inherit that silver!

18 “He has built his house like a moth’s cocoon,[g]
    like a temporary[h] sunshade that a watchman makes.
19 He will go to bed wealthy,
    but won’t be doing that anymore!
        When he opens his eyes, it will be gone!
20 Terror will overtake him like a flood,[i]
    at night, a tornado will sweep him away.
21 He’ll be swept up by a storm[j] wind and carried away;
    he’ll be whirled away from his place.
22 It will toss him around without pity.
    He’ll try to break free[k] from its grip,[l]
23 but it will clap its hands over him,
    hissing at him as it lunges toward him.”[m]

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:2 Or soul
  2. Job 27:5 Cf. Job 2:9
  3. Job 27:7 Or unrighteous one
  4. Job 27:11 Lit. hand
  5. Job 27:13 Lit. man
  6. Job 27:16 Or money
  7. Job 27:18 The Heb. lacks cocoon
  8. Job 27:18 The Heb. lacks temporary
  9. Job 27:20 Lit. water
  10. Job 27:21 Lit. east
  11. Job 27:22 Lit. grip to flee, he will flee
  12. Job 27:22 Lit. hand
  13. Job 27:23 Lit. him from its place

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)