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What Hope has the Godless?

27 And Job took up his discourse again, saying:

“As God lives, who has deprived me of justice,
    Shaddai who has made my soul bitter,
as long as my breath is still in me,
    the Ruach of God in my nostrils,
my lips will speak no injustice,
    nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
Far be it from me to say that you are just;
    until I die, I will not set aside my integrity!
I will maintain my righteousness, and not let it go;
my conscience will not reproach me for any of my days.

“May my enemy be like the wicked
    my enemy like the unrighteous.
For what hope has the godless,
    when he is cut off,
    when God takes his soul?[a]
Will God hear his cry
    when trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he delight in Shaddai?
    Will he call upon God at all times?
11 I will teach you about the hand of God;
    I will not conceal the ways of Shaddai.
12 Look, you have all seen this yourselves.
    Why then this meaningless talk?

13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
the inheritance that ruthless men receive from Shaddai.
14 If his children increase—
    it is for the sword.
His offspring will never
    have enough to eat.
15 Those who survive him will be buried by the plague,
and their widows will not weep.
16 Though he piles up silver like dust,
    and clothing like heaps of mortar,
17 what he lays up, the righteous will wear,
    and the upright will divide the silver.
18 The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon,
    like a hut made for a watchman.
19 “He lies down wealthy,
    but will gather no more.
When he opens his eyes,
    all is gone!
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
    a storm sweeps him away at night.
21 The east wind picks him up and he is gone;
    it sweeps him out of his place.
22 It hurls itself at him without pity
    as he flees headlong from its hand.
23 It claps its hands at him in derision,
    and hisses him out of his place.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:8 cf. Acts 23:1; Rom. 2:15.

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)

27 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?

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

14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

16 Though he 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 a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

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

23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.