1 M oreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

Job kept on speaking, and said,

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

“As God lives, Who has taken away my right, and the All-powerful, Who has troubled my soul,

3 A s long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils,

as long as life is in me, and the breath of God is in my nose,

4 M y lips will not speak wickedness, Nor my tongue utter deceit.

my lips will not speak what is not true, and my tongue will not lie.

5 F ar be it from me That I should say you are right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

Far be it from me to say that you are right. Until I die I will not put away my honor.

6 M y righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.

I hold on to what is right and good and will not let it go. My heart does not put me to shame for any of my days.

7 “ May my enemy be like the wicked, And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.

“May the one who hates me be as the sinful. And may the one who is against me be as those who are not right and good.

8 F or what is the hope of the hypocrite, Though he may gain much, If God takes away his life?

For what is the hope of the man without God when he dies, when God takes away his life?

9 W ill God hear his cry When trouble comes upon him?

Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?

10 W ill he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God?

Will he be glad in the All-powerful? Will he call on God at all times?

11 “ I will teach you about the hand of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

I will teach you about the power of God. I will not hide the ways of the All-powerful.

12 S urely all of you have seen it; Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?

All of you have seen it yourselves. Why then do you speak in a foolish way?

13 “ This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:

“This is what God gives to a sinful man, the gift that a man who makes it hard for others receives from the All-powerful.

14 I f his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

If he has many sons, they will be killed by the sword. And his children will not have enough bread to eat.

15 T hose who survive him shall be buried in death, And their widows shall not weep,

Those who are left to him will be buried because of disease. And the wives who have lost their husbands will not be able to cry.

16 T hough he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay—

He may gather up silver like dust, and gather so much clothing as if they were clay.

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

He may have it, but those who are right with God will wear it. And those who are without guilt will divide the silver.

18 H e builds his house like a moth, Like a booth which a watchman makes.

He builds his house like the home of a spider, or like a tent which a watchman has made.

19 T he rich man will lie down, But not be gathered up; He opens his eyes, And he is no more.

He goes to bed rich, but will never again. When he opens his eyes, his riches are gone.

20 T errors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.

Fears come over him like a flood. A storm carries him away in the night.

21 T he east wind carries him away, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place.

The east wind carries him away, and he is gone. It carries him away from his place.

22 I t hurls against him and does not spare; He flees desperately from its power.

It comes at him without pity. He tries to run from its power as fast as he can.

23 M en shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.

Men clap their hands at him, and drive him from his place with sounds of shame.