Job 20
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and saide,
Then answered Zophar the Na'amathite, and said,
2 Doubtlesse my thoughts cause me to answere, and therefore I make haste.
Even therefore do my inmost thoughts give me an answer, and for this reason do I feel a strong excitement within me.
3 I haue heard the correction of my reproch: therefore the spirite of mine vnderstanding causeth me to answere.
Reproof which casteth shame on me must I hear; yet out of my understanding will the spirit give me an answer.
4 Knowest thou not this of olde? and since God placed man vpon the earth,
Dost thou know this? from the very beginning of things, from the very time when man was placed upon earth it was,
5 That the reioycing of the wicked is short, and that the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment?
That the triumphal shouting of the wicked is ever of but a recent date, and the joy of the hypocrite endureth only for a moment.
6 Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen, and his head reache vnto the cloudes,
Though his exaltation should mount up to the heavens, and his head should reach unto the clouds;
7 Yet shall hee perish for euer, like his dung, and they which haue seene him, shall say, Where is hee?
Yet when he but turneth round will he vanish for ever; those who have seen him will say, Where is he?
8 He shall flee away as a dreame, and they shall not finde him, and shall passe away as a vision of the night,
Like a dream will he fly away, and men will find him no more; yea, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 So that the eye which had seene him, shall do so no more, and his place shall see him no more.
If an eye have surveyed him, it will not do so again, and it will not behold him any more in his place.
10 His children shall flatter the poore, and his hands shall restore his substance.
His children will suffer oppression from the indigent, and his hands will have to restore his [ill-gotten] wealth.
11 His bones are full of the sinne of his youth, and it shall lie downe with him in the dust.
[Now] his bones are full of his youthful vigor; but it will [suddenly] lie down with him in the dust.
12 When wickednesse was sweete in his mouth, and he hid it vnder his tongue,
If the evil be sweet in his mouth, he will conceal it under his tongue;
13 And fauoured it, and would not forsake it, but kept it close in his mouth,
He will cherish it, and not forsake it; and hold it back within his palate;
14 Then his meat in his bowels was turned: the gall of Aspes was in the middes of him.
His food is thus changed within his bowels, and becometh the venom of asps within him.
15 He hath deuoured substance, and hee shall vomit it: for God shall drawe it out of his bellie.
The wealth which he hath swallowed, will he have to vomit up again; God will drive it out of his belly.
16 He shall sucke the gall of Aspes, and the vipers tongue shall slay him.
The poison of asps will he have to suck; the viper's tongue will slay him.
17 He shall not see the riuers, nor the floods and streames of honie and butter.
He shall not look with pleasure on streams, on flowing brooks of honey and cream.
18 He shall restore the labour, and shall deuoure no more: euen according to the substance shalbe his exchange, and he shall enioy it no more.
He restoreth what he hath labored for, and will not swallow it down; however much he may have obtained by toil, he will not have any joy of it.
19 For he hath vndone many: he hath forsaken the poore, and hath spoyled houses which he builded not.
Because he oppressed and forsook the indigent; because he took violently away a house, shall he not rebuild it;
20 Surely he shall feele no quietnes in his bodie, neither shall he reserue of that which he desired.
Because he knew not quietness in his bosom, shall he not escape through what is the most precious to him.
21 There shall none of his meate bee left: therefore none shall hope for his goods.
Nothing was spared from his craving to eat: therefore shall his wealth not prosper.
22 When he shalbe filled with his abundance, he shalbe in paine, and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him.
In the fulness of his abundance will distress assail him: every hand of [those he] troubled will come against him.
23 He shall be about to fill his belly, but God shall sende vpon him his fierce wrath, and shall cause to rayne vpon him, euen vpon his meate.
In order to fill his belly, [God] will send out against him the fury of his wrath, and will rain it upon him for his eating.
24 He shall flee from the yron weapons, and the bow of steele shall strike him through.
If he flee from the iron weapon, the brazen bow will strike him through.
25 The arrowe is drawen out, and commeth forth of the body, and shineth of his gall, so feare commeth vpon him.
He draweth it, and it cometh out of the body; yea, out of his gall the glittering [arrow] cometh forth: over him come the terrors [of death].
26 All darkenes shalbe hid in his secret places: the fire that is not blowen, shall deuoure him, and that which remaineth in his tabernacle, shalbe destroyed.
Entire darkness is laid by for his treasures: a fire not urged by blowing will consume him; it will destroy any one that is left in his tent.
27 The heauen shall declare his wickednes, and the earth shall rise vp against him.
The heavens will lay open his iniquity; and the earth will raise herself up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall go away: it shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
The product of his house will be banished, flowing away on the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of the wicked man from God, and the heritage that he shall haue of God for his wordes.
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and his decreed heritage from God.
