11 "I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal. 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: 14 However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never have enough to eat. 15 The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them. 16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, 17 what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver. 18 The house he builds is like a moth's cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman. 19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone. 20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night. 21 The east wind carries him off, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. 22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power. 23 It claps its hands in derision and hisses him out of his place."

Other Translations of Job 27:11-23

King James Version

11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. 12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain? 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. 14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. 15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. 16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. 18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. 19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. 20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. 21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. 23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

English Standard Version

11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 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, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty: 14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword, and his descendants have not enough bread. 15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries, and his widows do not weep. 16 Though he heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay, 17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver. 18 He builds his house like a moth's, like a booth that a watchman makes. 19 He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more; he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone. 20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off. 21 The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. 22 ItOr He (that is, God); also verse 23 hurls at him without pity; he flees from itsOr his; also verse 23 power in headlong flight. 23 It claps its hands at him and hisses at him from its place.

The Message

11 "I've given you a clear account of God in action, suppressed nothing regarding God Almighty. 12 The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves, so why do you keep talking nonsense? 13 "I'll quote your own words back to you: "'This is how God treats the wicked, this is what evil people can expect from God Almighty: 14 Their children - all of them - will die violent deaths; they'll never have enough bread to put on the table. 15 They'll be wiped out by the plague, and none of the widows will shed a tear when they're gone. 16 Even if they make a lot of money and are resplendent in the latest fashions, 17 It's the good who will end up wearing the clothes and the decent who will divide up the money. 18 They build elaborate houses that won't survive a single winter. 19 They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor. 20 Terrors pour in on them like flash floods - a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night, 21 A cyclone sweeps them up - gone! Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint. 22 Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them; they run this way and that, but there's no place to hide - 23 Pummeled by the weather, blown to kingdom come by the storm.'

New King James Version

11 "I will teach you about the hand of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 12 Surely all of you have seen it; Why then do you behave with complete nonsense? 13 "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty: 14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. 15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death, And their widows shall not weep, 16 Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like 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, Like a booth which a watchman makes. 19 The rich man will lie down, But not be gathered up; He opens his eyes, And he is no more. 20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night. 21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place. 22 It hurls against him and does not spare; He flees desperately from its power. 23 Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.

New Living Translation

11 I will teach you about God's power. I will not conceal anything concerning the Almighty. 12 But you have seen all this, yet you say all these useless things to me. 13 "This is what the wicked will receive from God; this is their inheritance from the Almighty. 14 They may have many children, but the children will die in war or starve to death. 15 Those who survive will die of a plague, and not even their widows will mourn them. 16 "Evil people may have piles of money and may store away mounds of clothing. 17 But the righteous will wear that clothing, and the innocent will divide that money. 18 The wicked build houses as fragile as a spider's web, as flimsy as a shelter made of branches. 19 The wicked go to bed rich but wake to find that all their wealth is gone. 20 Terror overwhelms them like a flood, and they are blown away in the storms of the night. 21 The east wind carries them away, and they are gone. It sweeps them away. 22 It whirls down on them without mercy. They struggle to flee from its power. 23 But everyone jeers at them and mocks them.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 27:11-23

Commentary on Job 27:11-23

(Read Job 27:11-23)

Job's friends, on the same subject, spoke of the misery of wicked men before death as proportioned to their crimes; Job considered that if it were not so, still the consequences of their death would be dreadful. Job undertook to set this matter in a true light. Death to a godly man, is like a fair gale of wind to convey him to the heavenly country; but, to a wicked man, it is like a storm, that hurries him away to destruction. While he lived, he had the benefit of sparing mercy; but now the day of God's patience is over, and he will pour out upon him his wrath. When God casts down a man, there is no flying from, nor bearing up under his anger. Those who will not now flee to the arms of Divine grace, which are stretched out to receive them, will not be able to flee from the arms of Divine wrath, which will shortly be stretched out to destroy them. And what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and thus lose his own soul?