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Job’s Last Words to His Friends

27 Moreover Job continued his discourse:

“As God lives, who has taken away my judgment,
    and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
all the while my spirit is in me,
    and the breath of God is in my nostrils,
my lips will not speak wickedness,
    nor my tongue utter deceit.
God forbid that I should justify you.
    Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go;
    my heart will not reproach me as long as I live.

“Let my enemy be like the wicked,
    and he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.
For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
    though he may gain much, when God takes away his soul?
Will God hear his cry
    when trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
    Will he always call upon God?

11 “I will teach you about the hand of God;
    what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Look, all of you have seen it;
    why then have you become altogether vain?

13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
    and the inheritance that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
    and his offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who survive him will be buried in death,
    and their widows will not weep.
16 Though he heaps up silver like the dust
    and piles up clothing like the clay—
17 he may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
    and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house like a moth,
    and like a booth that the watchman makes.
19 The rich man will lie down, but he will not be gathered;
    he opens his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like floodwaters;
    a tempest 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 God will cast it upon him and not spare;
    he would flee from its power.
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)