Job 27
What Happens in This Chapter
Job keeps speaking to his three friends. He promises he will never agree that he is a bad man being punished. He says he will keep telling the truth as long as he lives. Then he describes what happens to wicked people: their riches and families are swept away like a house blown down by a storm.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
1Job kept on speaking. He said:
2As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
2I promise this by the living God. He has not given me justice. The Almighty, a name for God that means he is stronger than anything, has made me feel bitter.
3All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
3As long as I can still breathe, and God's breath is in my nose,
4My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
4my lips will not say evil things. My tongue will not tell any lies.
5God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
5I will never say that you three are right. I will stay honest until the day I die.
The old wording says "God forbid." It is a strong way of saying "I would never do that."
6My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
6I will hold on to doing what is right. I will not let go of it. My own heart will not accuse me as long as I live.
7Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
7Let my enemy be treated like a wicked man. Let the one who fights me be treated like a man who does wrong.
8For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
8Think about a man who does not care about God. What hope does he have when God takes his life away?
9Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
9Will God listen to him when he cries out in trouble?
10Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
10Will he be glad about the Almighty? Will he pray to God all the time?
11I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
11I will teach you about God's power. I will not hide what the Almighty does.
12Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?
12You have all seen this yourselves. So why do you keep saying such empty things?
13This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
13This is what God hands out to a wicked man. This is what cruel people get from the Almighty.
14If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
14He may have many children, but they will die in war. His children will never have enough food.
15Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
15The ones who are left will die of sickness and be buried. Their wives will not even cry for them.
The old wording says "buried in death." It means a deadly sickness kills them.
16Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
16He may pile up silver like dust. He may stack up clothes like heaps of clay.
17He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
17He may pile them up, but good people will wear those clothes. Honest people will share out his silver.
18He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
18The house he builds is thin like a moth's cocoon. It is flimsy like a little hut a guard puts up.
19The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
19He goes to bed rich, but it will not happen again. He opens his eyes, and everything is gone.
20Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
20Fears rush over him like a flood. A big storm carries him off in the night.
21The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
21The east wind picks him up, and he is gone. It sweeps him away from his home.
22For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
22It hits him hard and shows him no mercy. He tries hard to escape from its power.
The old wording says "he would fain flee." "Fain" means he badly wants to get away.
23Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
23It claps its hands at him. It hisses at him and drives him out of his place.
Clapping and hissing were ways people made fun of someone to chase him away.
← → to turn the page · P for plain English · click a verse to sit with it