1. here is the text in job 15 (trans: MM). it refers to "the wicked " [ rasha( ] in a long string of verbs in THIRD SINGULAR. for some reason you are not satisfied with v. 28 (whose translation below looks perfectly within context to me) and change the verb there to THIRD PLURAL.
with this, and with the change of $KN to $KK, you are creating an isolated verse (28) not related thematically, nor syntactically, to the text before or after it (and i still do not see how the noun "cities" and the intransitive verb "abate" can be joined in a meaningful way
in english, or in hebrew).
why go into all this trouble?
i presume that what has bothered you in the first place was lack of continuity between v. 27 and 28. but this problem is created not by v. 28, which is perfectly within context; it is created by v. 25-27, in which the poet makes a mocking digression on the futility of the wicked man's rebellion against god.
terminated the digression, v. 28-35 return to the topic left off in v. 20-24, i.e. the misfortunes of the wicked, in a perfectly thematic way which requires no alteration of the text.
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כ כָּל-יְמֵי רָשָׁע, הוּא מִתְחוֹלֵל; וּמִסְפַּר שָׁנִים, נִצְפְּנוּ לֶעָרִיץ.
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20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
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כא קוֹל-פְּחָדִים בְּאָזְנָיו; בַּשָּׁלוֹם, שׁוֹדֵד יְבוֹאֶנּוּ.
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21 A sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
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כב לֹא-יַאֲמִין שׁוּב, מִנִּי-חֹשֶׁךְ; וצפו (וְצָפוּי) הוּא אֱלֵי-חָרֶב.
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22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
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כג נֹדֵד הוּא לַלֶּחֶם אַיֵּה; יָדַע, כִּי-נָכוֹן בְּיָדוֹ יוֹם-חֹשֶׁךְ.
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23 He wandereth abroad for bread: 'Where is it?' He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
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כד יְבַעֲתֻהוּ, צַר וּמְצוּקָה; תִּתְקְפֵהוּ, כְּמֶלֶךְ עָתִיד לַכִּידוֹר.
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24 Distress and anguish overwhelm him; they prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
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כה כִּי-נָטָה אֶל-אֵל יָדוֹ; וְאֶל-שַׁדַּי, יִתְגַּבָּר.
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25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, and behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;
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כו יָרוּץ אֵלָיו בְּצַוָּאר; בַּעֲבִי, גַּבֵּי מָגִנָּיו.
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26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers.
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כז כִּי-כִסָּה פָנָיו בְּחֶלְבּוֹ; וַיַּעַשׂ פִּימָה עֲלֵי-כָסֶל.
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27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, and made collops of fat on his loins;
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כח וַיִּשְׁכּוֹן, עָרִים נִכְחָדוֹת--בָּתִּים, לֹא-יֵשְׁבוּ לָמוֹ: אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַתְּדוּ לְגַלִּים.
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28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, in houses which no man would inhabit, which were ready to become heaps.
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כט לֹא-יֶעְשַׁר, וְלֹא-יָקוּם חֵילוֹ; וְלֹא-יִטֶּה לָאָרֶץ מִנְלָם.
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29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their produce bend to the earth.
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ל לֹא-יָסוּר, מִנִּי-חֹשֶׁךְ--יֹנַקְתּוֹ, תְּיַבֵּשׁ שַׁלְהָבֶת; וְיָסוּר, בְּרוּחַ פִּיו.
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30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of His mouth shall he go away.
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לא אַל-יַאֲמֵן בַּשָּׁו נִתְעָה: כִּי-שָׁוְא, תִּהְיֶה תְמוּרָתוֹ.
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31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; for vanity shall be his recompense.
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לב בְּלֹא-יוֹמוֹ, תִּמָּלֵא; וְכִפָּתוֹ, לֹא רַעֲנָנָה.
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32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be leafy.
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לג יַחְמֹס כַּגֶּפֶן בִּסְרוֹ; וְיַשְׁלֵךְ כַּזַּיִת, נִצָּתוֹ.
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33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
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לד כִּי-עֲדַת חָנֵף גַּלְמוּד; וְאֵשׁ, אָכְלָה אָהֳלֵי-שֹׁחַד.
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34 For the company of the godless shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
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לה הָרֹה עָמָל, וְיָלֹד אָוֶן; וּבִטְנָם, תָּכִין מִרְמָה.
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35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
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