[1] Job continued to speak. He said, [2] “God hasn’t treated me fairly. The Mighty One has made my life bitter. You can be sure that God lives. And here’s something else you can be sure of. [3] As long as I have life and God gives me breath, [4] my mouth won’t say evil things. My lips won’t tell lies. [5] I’ll never admit you people are right. Until I die, I’ll say I’m telling the truth. [6] I’ll continue to say I’m right. I’ll never let go of that. I won’t blame myself as long as I live. [7] “May my enemies suffer like sinful people! May my attackers be punished like those who aren’t fair! [8] What hope do ungodly people have when their lives are cut short? What hope do they have when God takes away their lives? [9] God won’t listen to their cry when trouble comes on them. [10] They won’t take delight in the Mighty One. They’ll never call out to God. [11] “I’ll teach all of you about God’s power. I won’t hide the things the Mighty One does. [12] You have seen those things yourselves. So why do you continue your useless talk? [13] “Here’s what God does to sinful people. Here’s what those who are mean receive from the Mighty One. [14] All their children will be killed by swords. They’ll never have enough to eat. [15] A plague will kill those who are left alive. The widows of sinful men won’t even weep over their own children. [16] Sinners might store up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay. [17] But people who do what is right will wear those clothes. People who haven’t done anything wrong will divide up that silver. [18] The house an evil person builds is like a moth’s cocoon. It’s like a hut that’s made by someone on guard duty. [19] Sinful people lie down wealthy, but their wealth is taken away. When they open their eyes, everything is gone. [20] Terrors sweep over them like a flood. A storm takes them away during the night. [21] The east wind carries them off, and they are gone. It sweeps them out of their houses. [22] It blows against them without mercy. They try to escape from its power. [23] It claps its hands and makes fun of them. It hisses them out of their houses.”
