Job 20
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —
2 “So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:
3 I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.
The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.
4 Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,
Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —
5 the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
6 Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,
Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
7 he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?
8 He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
Like a dream, shall he fly away, and they shall not find him, yea he shall be chased away, as a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.
The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:
10 His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth.
His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.
11 The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.
12 Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,
Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;
13 though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,
Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,
14 yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.
His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!
15 He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.
Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
16 He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.
The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
17 He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.
18 He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build.
For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
20 Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.
Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
21 Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.
Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
22 In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.
When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.
23 When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.
It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will thrust at him the glow of his anger, and rain [it] upon him for his punishment.
24 Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.
He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
25 It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him.
He hath drawn it out, and it hath come forth out of his back, —yea the flashing arrow-head, out of his gall, There shall march on him—terrors:
26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
Every misfortune, is laid up for his treasures, —There shall consume, a fire, not blown up, —it shall destroy what remaineth in his tent:
27 The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:
28 The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.
The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.
29 This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.”
This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.
