1Job continued his discourse, saying:
2As God lives, who has deprived me of justice,
and the Almighty who has made me bitter,
3as long as my breath is still in me
and the breath from God remains in my nostrils,
4my lips will not speak unjustly,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.
5I will never affirm that you are right.
I will maintain my integrity until I die.
6I will cling to my righteousness and never let it go.
My conscience will not accuse me as long as I live!
7May my enemy be like the wicked
and my opponent like the unjust.
8For what hope does the godless person have when he is cut off,
when God takes away his life?
9Will God hear his cry
when distress comes on him?
10Will he delight in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
11I will teach you about God’s power.
I will not conceal what the Almighty has planned.
12All of you have seen this for yourselves,
why do you keep up this empty talk?
13This is a wicked man’s lot from God,
the inheritance the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
14Even if his children increase, they are destined for the sword;
his descendants will never have enough food.
15Those who survive him will be buried by the plague,
yet their widows will not weep for them.
16Though he piles up silver like dust
and heaps up fine clothing like clay —
17he may heap it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide up his silver.
18The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon
or a shelter set up by a watchman.
19He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;
when he opens his eyes, it is gone.
20Terrors overtake him like a flood;
a storm wind sweeps him away at night.
21An east wind picks him up, and he is gone;
it carries him away from his place.
22It blasts at him without mercy,
while he flees desperately from its force.
23It claps its hands at him
and scoffs at him from its place.