Job 20
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —
2 For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:
3 I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.
The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.
4 Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,
Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —
5 That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?
That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
6 Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
7 Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?
Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?
8 He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of 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 which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.
The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:
10 His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.
His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.
12 Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;
13 Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;
Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,
14 His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.
His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!
15 He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.
Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
16 He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.
The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
17 Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.
18 He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.
In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
19 Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;
For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
20 There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.
Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
21 He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.
Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
22 Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.
When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.
23 God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.
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 He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;
He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
25 He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.
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 All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything 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 make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:
28 The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.
The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.
29 This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.
This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.
