< Job 20 >

1 Then answered Zophar the Na'amathite, and said,
וַ֭יַּעַן צֹפַ֥ר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 Even therefore do my inmost thoughts give me an answer, and for this reason do I feel a strong excitement within me.
לָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃
3 Reproof which casteth shame on me must I hear; yet out of my understanding will the spirit give me an answer.
מוּסַ֣ר כְּלִמָּתִ֣י אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וְ֝ר֗וּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִ֥י יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃
4 Dost thou know this? from the very beginning of things, from the very time when man was placed upon earth it was,
הֲזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַ֑ד מִנִּ֤י שִׂ֖ים אָדָ֣ם עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
5 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.
כִּ֤י רִנְנַ֣ת רְ֭שָׁעִים מִקָּרֹ֑וב וְשִׂמְחַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃
6 Though his exaltation should mount up to the heavens, and his head should reach unto the clouds;
אִם־יַעֲלֶ֣ה לַשָּׁמַ֣יִם שִׂיאֹ֑ו וְ֝רֹאשֹׁ֗ו לָעָ֥ב יַגִּֽיעַ׃
7 Yet when he but turneth round will he vanish for ever; those who have seen him will say, Where is he?
כְּֽ֭גֶלֲלֹו לָנֶ֣צַח יֹאבֵ֑ד רֹ֝אָ֗יו יֹאמְר֥וּ אַיֹּֽו׃
8 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.
כַּחֲלֹ֣ום יָ֭עוּף וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד כְּחֶזְיֹ֥ון לָֽיְלָה׃
9 If an eye have surveyed him, it will not do so again, and it will not behold him any more in his place.
עַ֣יִן שְׁ֭זָפַתּוּ וְלֹ֣א תֹוסִ֑יף וְלֹא־עֹ֝֗וד תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ מְקֹומֹֽו׃
10 His children will suffer oppression from the indigent, and his hands will have to restore his [ill-gotten] wealth.
בָּ֭נָיו יְרַצּ֣וּ דַלִּ֑ים וְ֝יָדָ֗יו תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה אֹונֹֽו׃
11 [Now] his bones are full of his youthful vigor; but it will [suddenly] lie down with him in the dust.
עַ֭צְמֹותָיו מָלְא֣וּ עֲלוּמֹו (עֲלוּמָ֑יו) וְ֝עִמֹּ֗ו עַל־עָפָ֥ר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃
12 If the evil be sweet in his mouth, he will conceal it under his tongue;
אִם־תַּמְתִּ֣יק בְּפִ֣יו רָעָ֑ה יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה תַּ֣חַת לְשֹׁונֹֽו׃
13 He will cherish it, and not forsake it; and hold it back within his palate;
יַחְמֹ֣ל עָ֭לֶיהָ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעַזְבֶ֑נָּה וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה בְּתֹ֣וךְ חִכֹּֽו׃
14 His food is thus changed within his bowels, and becometh the venom of asps within him.
לַ֭חְמֹו בְּמֵעָ֣יו נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ מְרֹורַ֖ת פְּתָנִ֣ים בְּקִרְבֹּֽו׃
15 The wealth which he hath swallowed, will he have to vomit up again; God will drive it out of his belly.
חַ֣יִל בָּ֭לַע וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ מִ֝בִּטְנֹ֗ו יֹֽורִשֶׁ֥נּוּ אֵֽל׃
16 The poison of asps will he have to suck; the viper's tongue will slay him.
רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִ֥ים יִינָ֑ק תַּֽ֝הַרְגֵ֗הוּ לְשֹׁ֣ון אֶפְעֶֽה׃
17 He shall not look with pleasure on streams, on flowing brooks of honey and cream.
אַל־יֵ֥רֶא בִפְלַגֹּ֑ות נַהֲרֵ֥י נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י דְּבַ֣שׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃
18 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.
מֵשִׁ֣יב יָ֭גָע וְלֹ֣א יִבְלָ֑ע כְּחֵ֥יל תְּ֝מוּרָתֹ֗ו וְלֹ֣א יַעֲלֹֽס׃
19 Because he oppressed and forsook the indigent; because he took violently away a house, shall he not rebuild it;
כִּֽי־רִ֭צַּץ עָזַ֣ב דַּלִּ֑ים בַּ֥יִת גָּ֝זַ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃
20 Because he knew not quietness in his bosom, shall he not escape through what is the most precious to him.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יָדַ֣ע שָׁלֵ֣ו בְּבִטְנֹ֑ו בַּ֝חֲמוּדֹ֗ו לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃
21 Nothing was spared from his craving to eat: therefore shall his wealth not prosper.
אֵין־שָׂרִ֥יד לְאָכְלֹ֑ו עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן לֹא־יָחִ֥יל טוּבֹֽו׃
22 In the fulness of his abundance will distress assail him: every hand of [those he] troubled will come against him.
בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקֹו יֵ֣צֶר לֹ֑ו כָּל־יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃
23 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.
יְהִ֤י ׀ לְמַלֵּ֬א בִטְנֹ֗ו יְֽשַׁלַּח־בֹּ֖ו חֲרֹ֣ון אַפֹּ֑ו וְיַמְטֵ֥ר עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו בִּלְחוּמֹֽו׃
24 If he flee from the iron weapon, the brazen bow will strike him through.
יִ֭בְרַח מִנֵּ֣שֶׁק בַּרְזֶ֑ל תַּ֝חְלְפֵ֗הוּ קֶ֣שֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
25 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].
שָׁלַף֮ וַיֵּצֵ֪א מִגֵּ֫וָ֥ה וּ֭בָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָתֹ֥ו יַהֲלֹ֗ךְ עָלָ֥יו אֵמִֽים׃
26 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.
כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ טָמ֪וּן לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו תְּ֭אָכְלֵהוּ אֵ֣שׁ לֹֽא־נֻפָּ֑ח יֵ֖רַע שָׂרִ֣יד בְּאָהֳלֹֽו׃
27 The heavens will lay open his iniquity; and the earth will raise herself up against him.
יְגַלּ֣וּ שָׁמַ֣יִם עֲוֹנֹ֑ו וְ֝אֶ֗רֶץ מִתְקֹומָ֘מָ֥ה לֹֽו׃
28 The product of his house will be banished, flowing away on the day of his wrath.
יִ֭גֶל יְב֣וּל בֵּיתֹ֑ו נִ֝גָּרֹ֗ות בְּיֹ֣ום אַפֹּֽו׃
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and his decreed heritage from God.
זֶ֤ה ׀ חֵֽלֶק־אָדָ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְנַחֲלַ֖ת אִמְרֹ֣ו מֵאֵֽל׃ פ

< Job 20 >