2  “As God lives, ^cwho has taken away my right,

and the Almighty, who has made my soul ^dbitter,

3  as long as my breath is in me,

and ^ethe spirit of God is in my nostrils,

4  ^fmy lips will not speak falsehood,

and my tongue will not utter deceit.

5  Far be it from me to say that you are right;

^gtill I die I will not put away my ^hintegrity from me.

6  ⁱI hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;

my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

7  “Let my enemy be as the wicked,

and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.

8  For what is the ^jhope of the godless when God ^kcuts him off,

when God takes away his life?

9  Will God hear his cry

when distress comes upon him?

10  Will he ^ltake delight in the Almighty?

Will he call upon God at all times?

11  I will teach you concerning the hand of God;

what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

12  Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;

why then have you become altogether vain?

13  “This is ^mthe portion of a wicked man with God,

and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:

14  If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,

and his descendants have not enough bread.

15  Those who survive him the pestilence buries,

and his ⁿwidows do not weep.

16  Though he ^oheap up silver like dust,

and pile up clothing like clay,

17  he may pile it up, ^pbut the righteous will wear it,

and the innocent will divide the silver.

18  He builds his ^qhouse like a moth’s,

like a booth that a watchman makes.

19  ^rHe goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;

he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.

20  Terrors overtake him like a flood;

in the night a whirlwind carries him off.

21  The east wind lifts him up and he is ^sgone;

it sweeps him out of his place.

22  It¹ hurls at him without pity;

he flees from its² power in headlong flight.

23  It ^tclaps its hands at him

and hisses at him from its place.