Job’s oath: until I die
1And Job went on with his discourse: 2As God lives, who has denied me justice, as the Almighty lives, who has made my soul bitter: 3as long as there is any breath left in me and the spirit of Eloah is in my nostrils, 4my lips will not speak injustice, and my tongue will not murmur deceit. 5Far be it from me to declare you in the right! Until I die I will not put my integrity away from me. 6I hold on to my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart will not reproach me for one of my days. 7Let my enemy end up like the wicked, and the one who rises against me like the unjust. 8For what hope has the godless when he is cut off, when Eloah draws out his life? 9Will God listen to his cry when trouble comes down on him? 10Will he take his delight in the Almighty and call on Eloah at every hour? 11I will teach you about the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not hide. 12Look, you have all seen it for yourselves. So why this breath of nonsense?
The portion of a wicked man
13This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the inheritance the ruthless receive from the Almighty: 14if his children multiply, it is for the sword, and his offspring will never have their fill of bread. 15Those he leaves behind are buried by death, and his widows will not weep. 16Though he heaps up silver like dust and lays in clothing like clay, 17he lays it in — and the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will share out the silver. 18He has built his house like a moth’s, like a shelter a watchman throws up. 19He lies down rich, and is not gathered in; he opens his eyes, and it is all gone. 20Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a storm wind steals him away. 21The east wind lifts him and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. 22It hurls itself at him without pity while he flees headlong from its hand. 23It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.
