Job 20

1 Then Sophar the Naamathite answered, and said:

Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,

2 Therefore various thoughts succeed one another in me, and my mind is hurried away to different things.

I did not suppose that thou wouldest answer thus: neither do ye understand more than I.

3 The doctrine with which thou reprovest me, I will hear, and the spirit of my understanding shall answer for me.

I will hear my shameful reproach; and the spirit of my understanding answers me.

4 This I know from the beginning, since man was placed upon the earth,

Hast thou [not] known these things of old, from the time that man was set upon the earth?

5 That the praise of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.

But the mirth of the ungodly is a signal downfall, and the joy of transgressors is destruction:

6 If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:

although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the clouds.

7 In the end he shall be destroyed like a dunghill, and they that has seen him shall say: Where is he?

For when he shall seem to be now established, then he shall utterly perish: and they that knew him shall say, Where is he?

8 As a dream that fleeth away he shall not be found, he shall pass as a vision of the night:

Like a dream that has fled away, he shall not be found; and he has fled like a vision of the night.

9 The eyes that had seen him, shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold him.

The eye has looked upon him, but shall not [see him] again; and his place shall no longer perceive him.

10 His children shall be oppressed with want, and his hands shall render him his sorrow.

Let [his] inferiors destroy his children, and let his hands kindle the fire of sorrow.

11 His bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust.

His bones have been filled with [vigour of] his youth, and it shall lie down with him in the dust.

12 For when evil shall be sweet in his mouth, he will hide it under his tongue.

Though evil be sweet in his mouth, [though] he will hide it under his tongue;

13 He will spare it, and not leave it, and will hide it in his throat.

though he will not spare it, and will not leave it, but will keep it in the midst of his throat:

14 His bread in his belly shall be turned into the gall of asps within him.

yet he shall not at all be able to help himself; the gall of an asp is in his belly.

15 The riches which he hath swallowed; he shall vomit up, and God shall draw them out of his belly.

[His] wealth unjustly collected shall be vomited up; a messenger [of wrath] shall drag him out of his house.

16 He shall suck the head of asps, and the viper’s tongue shall kill him.

And let him suck the poison of serpents, and let the serpent's tongue slay him.

17 (Let him not see the streams of the river, the brooks of honey and of butter.)

Let him not see the milk of the pastures, nor the supplies of honey and butter.

18 He shall be punished for all that he did, and yet shall not be consumed: according to the multitude of his devices so also shall he suffer.

He has laboured unprofitably and in vain, [for] wealth of which he shall not taste: [it is] as a lean thing, unfit for food, which he cannot swallow.

19 Because he broke in and stripped the poor: he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build.

For he has broken down the houses of many mighty men: and he has plundered an habitation, though he built [it] not.

20 And yet his belly was not filled: and when he hath the things he coveted, he shall not be able to possess them.

There is no security to his possessions; he shall not be saved by his desire.

21 There was nothing left of his meat, and therefore nothing shall continue of his goods:

There is nothing remaining of his provisions; therefore his goods shall not flourish.

22 When he shall be filled, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him.

But when he shall seem to be just satisfied, he shall be straitened; and all distress shall come upon him.

23 May his belly be filled, that God may send forth the wrath of his indignation upon him, and rain down his war upon him.

If by any means he would fill his belly, let [God] send upon him the fury of wrath; let him bring a torrent of pains upon him.

24 He shall flee from weapons of iron, and shall fall upon a bow of brass.

And he shall by no means escape from the power of the sword; let the brazen bow wound him.

25 The sword is drawn out, and cometh forth from its scabbard, and glittereth in his bitterness: the terrible ones shall go and come upon him.

And let the arrow pierce through his body; and let the stars be against his dwelling-place: let terrors come upon him.

26 All darkness is hid in his secret places: a fire that is not kindled shall devour him, he shall be afflicted when left in his tabernacle.

And let all darkness wait for him: a fire that burns not out shall consume him; and let a stranger plague his house.

27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.

And let the heaven reveal his iniquities, and the earth rise up against him.

28 The offspring of his house shall be exposed, he shall be pulled down in the day of God’s wrath.

Let destruction bring his house to an end; let a day of wrath come upon him.

29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance of his doings from the Lord.

This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of his goods [appointed him] by the all-seeing [God].