• Job Affirms His Righteousness

  • 1 Job again took up his discourse and said,
  • 2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,
  • 3 For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils,
  • 4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
  • 5 “Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Until I die, I will not give up my integrity.
  • 6 “I have kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not rebuke any of my days.

  • The State of the Godless

  • 7 “May my enemy be as the wicked, And my opponent as the criminal.
  • 8 “For what is the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life, When God requires his life?
  • 9 “Will God hear his cry When distress comes upon him?
  • 10 “Or will he take pleasure in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?
  • 11 “I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
  • 12 “Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you talk of nothing?
  • 13 “This is the portion of a wicked person from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty:
  • 14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
  • 15 “His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep.
  • 16 “Though he piles up silver like dust, And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
  • 17 He may prepare it, but the righteous will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.
  • 18 “He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or a hut which the watchman has made.
  • 19 “He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it no longer exists.
  • 20 “Terrors overtake him like a flood; A storm steals him away in the night.
  • 21 “The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; For it sweeps him away from his place.
  • 22 “For it will hurl at him without mercy; He will certainly try to flee from its power.
  • 23 “People will clap their hands at him, And will whistle at him from their places.