Job 20

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —

2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

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

3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

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

4 Know you not this of old, since man was placed on 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 hypocrite 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 to 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 which 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: yes, 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 also 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 seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

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

11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which 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 forsake it not; 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 meat 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 has 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 see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

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

18 That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

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

19 Because he has oppressed and has forsaken the poor; because he has violently taken away an house which he built not;

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

20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

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

21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

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

22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come on him.

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

23 When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath on him, and shall rain it on him while he is eating.

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 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

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

25 It is drawn, and comes out of the body; yes, the glittering sword comes out of his gall: terrors are on 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 shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

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

27 The heaven 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, and 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 to him by God.

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