Job 27:2

“As surely as God lives, ¹  who has denied me justice, ²  the Almighty, who has made my life bitter ³  –

"As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,

"As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,

"I make this vow by the living God, who has taken away my rights, by the Almighty who has embittered my soul.

"God-Alive! He's denied me justice! God Almighty! He's ruined my life!

By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;

"As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

" As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

“As surely as God lives, ¹  who has denied me justice, ²  the Almighty, who has made my life bitter ³  –

¹ tn The expression חַי־אֵל (khay-’el) is the oath formula: “as God lives.” In other words, the speaker is staking God’s life on the credibility of the words. It is like saying, “As truly as God is alive.”

² tn “My judgment” would here, as before, be “my right.” God has taken this away by afflicting Job unjustly (A. B. Davidson, Job, 187).

³ tn The verb הֵמַר (hemar) is the Hiphil perfect from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”) and hence, “to make bitter.” The object of the verb is “my soul,” which is better translated as “me” or “my life.”