Job Affirms his Integrity

1And Job further continued and said in his parable,

2As God lives, who has thus judge me; and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul;

3verily, while my breath is yet in me, and the breath of God which remains to me is in my nostrils,

4my lips shall not speak evil words, neither shall my soul meditate unrighteous thoughts.

5Far be it from me that I should justify you till I die; for I will not let go my innocence,

6but keeping fast to my righteousness I will by no means let it go: for I am not conscious to myself of having done any thing amiss.

The State of the Godless

7Nay rather, but let mine enemies be as the overthrow of the ungodly, and they that rise up against me, as the destruction of transgressors.

8For what is the hope of the ungodly, that he holds to it? will he indeed trust in the Lord and be saved?

9Will God hear his prayer? or, when distress has come upon him,

10has he any confidence before him? or will God hear him as he calls upon him?

11Yet now I will tell you what is in the hand of the Lord: I will not lie concerning the things which are with the Almighty.

12Behold, ye all know that ye are adding vanity to vanity.

13This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of oppressors shall come upon them from the Almighty.

14And if their children be many, they shall be for slaughter: and if they grow up, they shall beg.

15And they that survive of him shall utterly perish, and no one shall pity their widows.

16Even if he should gather silver as earth, and prepare gold as clay;

17All these things shall the righteous gain, and the truehearted shall possess his wealth.

18And his house is gone like moths, and like a spider's web.

19The rich man shall lie down, and shall not continue: he has opened his eyes, and he is not.

20Pains have come upon him as water, and darkness has carried him away by night.

21And a burning wind shall catch him, and he shall depart, and it shall utterly drive him out of his place.

22And God shall cast trouble upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

23He shall cause men to clap their hands against them, and shall hiss him out of his place.