1 T hen Job continued his discourse and said,

And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: --

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

God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty -- He made my soul bitter.

3 F or as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils,

For all the while my breath in me, And the spirit of God in my nostrils.

4 M y lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.

My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue doth not utter deceit.

5 “ Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

Pollution to me -- if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine integrity from me.

6 “ I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days. The State of the Godless

On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart doth not reproach me while I live.

7 “ May my enemy be as the wicked And my opponent as the unjust.

As the wicked is my enemy, And my withstander as the perverse.

8 “ For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life?

For what the hope of the profane, When He doth cut off? When God doth cast off his soul?

9 “ Will God hear his cry When distress comes upon him?

His cry doth God hear, When distress cometh on him?

10 “ Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?

On the Mighty doth he delight himself? Call God at all times?

11 “ I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

I shew you by the hand of God, That which with the Mighty I hide not.

12 “ Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you act foolishly?

Lo, ye -- all of you -- have seen, And why this -- ye are altogether vain?

13 “ This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty.

This the portion of wicked man with God, And the inheritance of terrible ones From the Mighty they receive.

14 “ Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.

If his sons multiply -- for them a sword. And his offspring not satisfied bread.

15 “ His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep.

His remnant in death are buried, And his widows do not weep.

16 “ Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,

If he heap up as dust silver, And as clay prepare clothing,

17 H e may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.

He prepareth -- and the righteous putteth on, And the silver the innocent doth apportion.

18 “ He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made.

He hath built as a moth his house, And as a booth a watchman hath made.

19 “ He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no longer.

Rich he lieth down, and he is not gathered, His eyes he hath opened, and he is not.

20 “ Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.

Overtake him as waters do terrors, By night stolen him away hath a whirlwind.

21 “ The east wind carries him away, and he is gone, For it whirls him away from his place.

Take him up doth an east wind, and he goeth, And it frighteneth him from his place,

22 “ For it will hurl at him without sparing; He will surely try to flee from its power.

And it casteth at him, and doth not spare, From its hand he diligently fleeth.

23 “ Men will clap their hands at him And will hiss him from his place.

It clappeth at him its hands, And it hisseth at him from his place.