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Job’s Final Reply to His Friends

27 Job continued to speak. He said,

“God hasn’t treated me fairly.
    The Mighty One has made my life bitter.
You can be sure that God lives.
    And here’s something else you can be sure of.
As long as I have life
    and God gives me breath,
my mouth won’t say evil things.
    My lips won’t tell lies.
I’ll never admit you people are right.
    Until I die, I’ll say I’m telling the truth.
I’ll continue to say I’m right.
    I’ll never let go of that.
    I won’t blame myself as long as I live.

“May my enemies suffer like sinful people!
    May my attackers be punished like those who aren’t fair!
What hope do ungodly people have when their lives are cut short?
    What hope do they have when God takes away their lives?
God won’t listen to their cry
    when trouble comes on them.
10 They won’t take delight in the Mighty One.
    They’ll never call out to God.

11 “I’ll teach all of you about God’s power.
    I won’t hide the things the Mighty One does.
12 You have seen those things yourselves.
    So why do you continue your useless talk?

13 “Here’s what God does to sinful people.
    Here’s what those who are mean receive from the Mighty One.
14 All their children will be killed by swords.
    They’ll never have enough to eat.
15 A plague will kill those who are left alive.
    The widows of sinful men
    won’t even weep over their own children.
16 Sinners might store up silver like dust
    and clothes like piles of clay.
17 But people who do what is right will wear those clothes.
    People who haven’t done anything wrong
    will divide up that silver.
18 The house an evil person builds is like a moth’s cocoon.
    It’s like a hut that’s made by someone on guard duty.
19 Sinful people lie down wealthy, but their wealth is taken away.
    When they open their eyes, everything is gone.
20 Terrors sweep over them like a flood.
    A storm takes them away during the night.
21 The east wind carries them off, and they are gone.
    It sweeps them out of their houses.
22 It blows against them without mercy.
    They try to escape from its power.
23 It claps its hands and makes fun of them.
    It hisses them out of their houses.”

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)