Job’s Final Word to His Friends
1 And Job continued his discourse:
1 And Job continued his discourse:
2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,
the Almighty, who has made my life bitter,
the Almighty, who has made my life bitter,
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God in my nostrils,
the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wicked,
and my tongue will not utter lies.
and my tongue will not utter lies.
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
6 I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it;
my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.
my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,
my adversary like the unjust!
my adversary like the unjust!
8 For what hope have the godless when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life?
when God takes away their life?
9 Does God listen to their cry
when distress comes upon them?
when distress comes upon them?
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?
Will they call on God at all times?
Will they call on God at all times?
11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.
the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
Why then this meaningless talk?
Why then this meaningless talk?
13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:
14 However many his children, their fate is the sword;
his offspring will never have enough to eat.
his offspring will never have enough to eat.
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
and their widows will not weep for them.
and their widows will not weep for them.
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust
and clothes like piles of clay,
and clothes like piles of clay,
17 what he lays up the righteous will wear,
and the innocent will divide his silver.
and the innocent will divide his silver.
18 The house he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,
like a hut made by a watchman.
like a hut made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;
when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
a tempest snatches him away in the night.
a tempest snatches him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him off, and he is gone;
it sweeps him out of his place.
it sweeps him out of his place.
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy
as he flees headlong from its power.
as he flees headlong from its power.
23 It claps its hands in derision
and hisses him out of his place.”
and hisses him out of his place.”
Job, 27 chapter