Verse 2

[As] God liveth, [who] hath taken away my a judgment; and the Almighty, [who] hath vexed my soul;

(a) He has so sore afflicted me that men cannot judge my uprightness; for they judge only by outward signs.

Verse 4

b My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

(b) However men judge me, yet will I not speak contrary to that which I have said, and so do wickedly in betraying the truth.

Verse 5

God forbid that I should c justify you: till I die I will not remove mine d integrity from me.

(c) Which condemns me as a wicked man, because the hand of God is on me.

(d) I will not confess that God does thus punish me for my sins.

Verse 6

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach [me] so long as I e live.

(e) Of my life past.

Verse 8

For what [is] the f hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

(f) What advantage has the dissembler to gain, seeing he will lose his own soul?

Verse 11

I will teach you by the hand of g God: [that] which [is] with the Almighty will I not conceal.

(g) That is, what God reserves for himself, and of which he gives not knowledge to all.

Verse 12

Behold, all ye yourselves h have seen [it]; why then are ye thus altogether i vain?

(h) That is, these secret judgments of God and yet do not understand them.

(i) Why do you then maintain this error?

Verse 13

This [is] the k portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, [which] they shall receive of the Almighty.

(k) Thus will God order the wicked, and punish him even to his posterity.

Verse 15

Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows l shall not weep.

(l) No one will lament him.

Verse 18

He buildeth his house as a m moth, and as a booth [that] the keeper maketh.

(m) Which breeds in another man's possessions or garment, but is soon shaken out.

Verse 19

The rich man shall lie down, but n he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he [is] not.

(n) He means that the wicked tyrants will not have a quiet death, nor be buried honourably.