[1] Job continued his answer: [2] "God All-Powerful has been unfair to me; he has made my life bitter. But I swear by his life, [3] as long as I have life in me, as long as breath from God is in my nostrils, [4] I will not be a hypocrite. I will not lie. [5] You will never hear me say you men are right! Until the day I die I will not be untrue to myself. [6] I will hold on to my innocence and never let go! My conscience will always be clear! [7] May my enemies be punished like those who are evil. May those who stood against me end up like all who have done wrong. [8] What hope do people without God have when it is time to die, when God takes their life away? [9] When they have troubles and cry out for help, God will not listen to them! [10] It will be too late for them to enjoy talking with God All-Powerful. They should have prayed to God all the time. [11] "I will teach you about God's power. I will not hide anything about God All-Powerful. [12] But you have seen it all with your own eyes. So why do you say such useless things? [13] "Here is what God has planned for those who are evil. This is what cruel people will get from God All-Powerful. [14] They may have many children, but all of them will be killed in war. Or their children will not have enough to eat. [15] All those who are left will die, and the widows will not even cry for them. [16] Evil people collect silver as easily as dirt. They may have so many clothes that they are piled up like clay. [17] But their piles of clothes will be worn by those who have lived right. All that silver will be given to those who have done no wrong. [18] Evil people might build houses, but they will not last long. They will be like a spider's web or a guard's tent. [19] They might be rich when they go to bed, but when they open their eyes, all their riches will be gone. [20] Terrible fears will come over them like a flood, like a storm in the night that blows everything away. [21] The east wind will carry them away, and they will be gone. The storm will sweep them out of their homes. [22] They may try to run away from the power of the storm, but it will come down on them without mercy. [23] It will make a sound like clapping hands as they run away. It will whistle at them as they run from their homes."
