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