Job 27:1-10

1 And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: --
2 God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty -- He made my soul bitter.
3 For all the while my breath [is] in me, And the spirit of God in my nostrils.
4 My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue doth not utter deceit.
5 Pollution to me -- if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine integrity from me.
6 On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart doth not reproach me while I live.
7 As the wicked is my enemy, And my withstander as the perverse.
8 For what [is] the hope of the profane, When He doth cut off? When God doth cast off his soul?
9 His cry doth God hear, When distress cometh on him?
10 On the Mighty doth he delight himself? Call God at all times?

Job 27:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 27

Though Job's friends were become silent, and dropped the controversy with him, he still continued his discourse in this and the four following chapters; in which he asserts his integrity; illustrates and confirms his former sentiments; gives further proof of his knowledge of things, natural and divine; takes notice of his former state of prosperity, and of his present distresses and afflictions, which came upon him, notwithstanding his piety, humanity, and beneficence, and his freedom from the grosser acts of sin, both with respect to God and men, all which he enlarges upon. In this chapter he gives his word and oath for it, that he would never belie himself, and own that he was an hypocrite, when he was not, but would continue to assert his integrity, and the righteousness of his cause, as long as he lived, Job 27:1-6; for to be an hypocrite, and to attempt to conceal his hypocrisy, would be of no advantage to him, either in life, or in death, Job 27:7-10; and was this his character and case, upon their principles, he could expect no other than to be a miserable man, as wicked men are, who have their blessings turned into curses, or taken away from them, and they removed out of the world in the most awful and terrible manner, and under manifest tokens of the wrath and displeasure of God, Job 27:11-23.

Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.