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  • Job Chapter 27

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Job continues to speak

27 Job continued to speak. This is what he said:

2 ‘Almighty God has not been fair to me.
He has caused my life to be very sad.
As surely as he lives, I promise this:
3 As long as God's Spirit gives me life,
4 I will never speak any lies.
I will always be honest.
5 I will never agree that you, my three friends, are right.
Until the day of my death,
I will continue to say what I know is right.
6 I will never agree that I am guilty.
During all of my life,
my thoughts do not say that I am doing anything wrong.

7 I pray that God will punish my enemies
as he punishes all wicked people.
They do bad things to me,
so they deserve punishment.
8 When God chooses to remove wicked people,
they cannot hope for any good thing.
God will cause them to die.
9 When they are in trouble and they pray for help,
God will not listen to them.
10 People like that are not happy that Almighty God is their friend.
They do not like to pray to him all the time.
11 I will teach you about the power of Almighty God.
I will explain to you what he is thinking.
12 You yourselves have all seen what God has done.
So you should stop saying all these useless things!
13 I will tell you what Almighty God does to wicked people.
He punishes cruel people as they deserve.
14 Wicked people may have many children,
but they will die in war.
Their children will never have enough food to eat.
15 Illness will kill any children who continue to live.
Their widows will not weep when they are dead.
16 Wicked people may have lots of money.
They may have silver like heaps of sand.
They may have more clothes than they could ever wear.
17 But one day righteous people will wear those clothes.
Honest people will share the silver among themselves.
18 The houses that wicked people build are not strong.
They are as weak as a spider's web, [ a ]
or a shepherd's hut,
19 Their riches quickly disappear.
They are rich when they go to sleep,
but poor when they wake up.
20 Troubles come to them like a flood of water,
and they are very afraid.
A storm comes in the night to carry them away.
21 The east wind picks them up and takes then far away. [ b ]
It removes them from their homes.
22 It is a strong wind that hits wicked people
and it never stops.
It continues to beat them as they try to escape.
23 The cruel wind laughs at them
as they run away in fear.’

Footnotes

  1. 27:18 A spider is small, like an insect. It uses very thin strings (threads) to make a web. It catches insects in the web for its food.
  2. 27:21 The wind in verses 21 to 23 is probably a picture of the troubles that come to wicked people.

27 Job continued his answer:

2 “God All-Powerful has been unfair to me;
he has made my life bitter.
But I swear by his life,
3 as long as I have life in me,
as long as breath from God is in my nostrils,
4 I will not be a hypocrite.
I will not lie.
5 You will never hear me say you men are right!
Until the day I die I will not be untrue to myself.
6 I will hold on to my innocence and never let go!
My conscience will always be clear!
7 May my enemies be punished like those who are evil.
May those who stood against me end up like all who have done wrong.
8 What hope do people without God have when it is time to die,
when God takes their life away?
9 When they have troubles and cry out for help,
God will not listen to them!
10 It will be too late for them to enjoy talking with God All-Powerful.
They should have prayed to God all the time.

11 “I will teach you about God’s power.
I will not hide anything about God All-Powerful.
12 But you have seen it all with your own eyes.
So why do you say such useless things?

13 [ a ] “Here is what God has planned for those who are evil.
This is what cruel people will get from God All-Powerful.
14 They may have many children, but all of them will be killed in war.
Or their children will not have enough to eat.
15 All those who are left will die,
and the widows will not even cry for them.
16 Evil people collect silver as easily as dirt.
They may have so many clothes that they are piled up like clay.
17 But their piles of clothes will be worn by those who have lived right.
All that silver will be given to those who have done no wrong.
18 Evil people might build houses, but they will not last long.
They will be like a spider’s web or a guard’s tent.
19 They might be rich when they go to bed,
but when they open their eyes, all their riches will be gone.
20 Terrible fears will come over them like a flood,
like a storm in the night that blows everything away.
21 The east wind will carry them away, and they will be gone.
The storm will sweep them out of their homes.
22 They may try to run away from the power of the storm,
but it will come down on them without mercy.
23 It will make a sound like clapping hands as they run away.
It will whistle at them as they run from their homes.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:13 Though Zophar is not mentioned in the text, many scholars think he answers Job in verses 13-23.

27 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 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.

Job Affirms His Righteousness

27 Job again took up his ( A ) discourse and said,

2 “As God lives, ( B ) who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, ( C ) who has embittered my soul,
3 For as long as [ a ] life is in me,
And the [ b ] ( D ) breath of God is in my nostrils,
4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will ( E ) my tongue mutter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Until I die, ( F ) I will not [ c ] give up my integrity.
6 I have ( G ) kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not rebuke any of my days.

The State of the Godless

7 “May my enemy be as the wicked,
And [ d ] my opponent as the criminal.
8 For what is ( H ) the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life ,
When God requires ( I ) his [ e ] life?
9 Will God ( J ) hear his cry
When ( K ) distress comes upon him?
10 Or will he take ( L ) pleasure in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
11 I will instruct you in the [ f ] power of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it ;
Why then do you talk of nothing?

13 “This is ( M ) the portion of a wicked person from God,
And the inheritance which ( N ) tyrants receive from the Almighty:
14 Though his sons are many, [ g ] they are destined ( O ) for the sword;
And his ( P ) descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
15 His survivors will be buried because of the plague,
And [ h ] their ( Q ) widows will not be able to weep.
16 Though he piles up silver like dust,
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
17 He may prepare it , ( R ) but the righteous will wear it
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He has built his ( S ) house like the [ i ] spider’s web,
Or a hut which the watchman has made.
19 He lies down rich, but never [ j ] again;
He opens his eyes, and ( T ) it no longer exists.
20 ( U ) Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A storm steals him away ( V ) in the night.
21 The east ( W ) wind carries him away, and he is gone;
For it sweeps him ( X ) away from his place.
22 For it will hurl at him ( Y ) without mercy;
He will certainly try to ( Z ) flee from its [ k ] power.
23 People will [ l ] clap their hands at him,
And will ( AA ) whistle at him from their places.

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:3 Lit breath
  2. Job 27:3 Or spirit
  3. Job 27:5 Lit remove from me
  4. Job 27:7 Lit one who rises up against me
  5. Job 27:8 Or soul
  6. Job 27:11 Lit hand
  7. Job 27:14 Lit the sword is for them
  8. Job 27:15 As in ancient versions; Heb his
  9. Job 27:18 As in ancient versions; Heb moth
  10. Job 27:19 As in ancient versions; Heb will be gathered
  11. Job 27:22 Lit hand
  12. Job 27:23 I.e., mock and ridicule him

Job’s Final Word to His Friends

27 And Job continued his discourse: ( A )

2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, ( B )
the Almighty, ( C ) who has made my life bitter, ( D )
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God ( E ) in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wicked,
and my tongue will not utter lies. ( F )
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity. ( G )
6 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 )

7 “May my enemy be like the wicked, ( K )
my adversary ( L ) like the unjust!
8 For what hope have the godless ( M ) when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life? ( N )
9 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 )