Job 20

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:

And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —

2 Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of mine agitation that is in me.

Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.

3 I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame, but out of my understanding my spirit answereth me.

The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:

4 Knowest thou not this of old time, since man was placed upon earth,

This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,

6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike —

7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung; they that have seen him shall say: 'Where is he?'

As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?'

8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found; yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,

9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

10 His children shall appease the poor, and his hands shall restore his wealth.

His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.

11 His bones are full of his youth, but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,

13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;

Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,

14 Yet his food in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.

15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly.

Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.

16 He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall slay him.

Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.

17 He shall not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and curd.

He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

18 That which he laboured for shall he give back, and shall not swallow it down; according to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.

He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not.

19 For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

For he oppressed — he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.

20 Because he knew no quietness within him, in his greed he suffered nought to escape,

For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.

21 There was nothing left that he devoured not — therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.

22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; the hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

23 It shall be for the filling of his belly; He shall cast the fierceness of His wrath upon him, and shall cause it to rain upon him into his flesh.

It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.

24 If he flee from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through.

He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

25 He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; terrors are upon him.

One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors.

26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not blown by man shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tent.

All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.

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

Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

28 The increase of his house shall depart, his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.

29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.