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27 Job again took up his parable, and said,

“As God lives, who has taken away my right,
    the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter
(for the length of my life is still in me,
    and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);
surely my lips will not speak unrighteousness,
    neither will my tongue utter deceit.
Far be it from me that I should justify you.
    Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go.
    My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.

“Let my enemy be as the wicked.
    Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.

For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
    Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty,
    and call on God at all times?
11 I will teach you about the hand of God.
    I will not conceal that which is with the Almighty.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
    why then have you become altogether vain?

13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
    the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword.
    His offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who remain of him will be buried in death.
    His widows will make no lamentation.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust,
    and prepare clothing as the clay;
17 he may prepare it, but the just will put it on,
    and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house as the moth,
    as a booth which the watchman makes.
19 He lies down rich, but he will not do so again.
    He opens his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like waters.
    A storm steals him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he departs.
    It sweeps him out of his place.
22 For it hurls at him, and does not spare,
    as he flees away from his hand.
23 Men will clap their hands at him,
    and will hiss him out of his 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)