Job 20
1 And Zophar the Naamathite answers and says:
And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.
3 I hear the discipline of my shame, And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer:
I hear a reproof putting me to shame; and [my] spirit answereth me by mine understanding.
4 Have you known this from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
Knowest thou [not] this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment?
6 Though his excellence goes up to the heavens, He strikes his head against a cloud—
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,
7 He perishes as his own dung forever, His beholders say, Where [is] he?
Like his own dung doth he perish for ever; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 He flees as a dream, and they do not find him, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
He flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye has not seen him, and does not add. And his place does not behold him again.
The eye which saw him shall [see him] not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.
10 His sons oppress the poor, And his hands give back his wealth.
His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth.
11 His bones have been full of his youth, and it lies down with him on the dust.
His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though he sweetens evil in his mouth, hides it under his tongue,
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth [and] he hide it under his tongue,
13 has pity on it, and does not forsake it, and keeps it back in the midst of his palate,
[Though] he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his mouth,
14 his food is turned in his bowels, the bitterness of cobras [is] in his heart.
His food is turned in his bowels; it is the gall of asps within him.
15 He has swallowed wealth, and vomits it. God drives it out from his belly.
He hath swallowed down riches, but he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 He sucks [the] gall of cobras, the tongue of a viper slays him.
He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall kill him.
17 He does not look on streams, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
He shall not see streams, rivers, brooks of honey and butter.
18 He is giving back [what] he labored for, and does not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he does not exult.
That which he laboured for shall he restore, and not swallow down; its restitution shall be according to the value, and he shall not rejoice [therein].
19 For he oppressed—he forsook the poor, He has taken a house away violently, And he does not build it.
For he hath oppressed, hath forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house that he did not build.
20 For he has not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he does not deliver himself.
Because he knew no rest in his craving, he shall save nought of what he most desired.
21 There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good does not stay.
Nothing escaped his greediness; therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he is constricted. Every perverse hand meets him.
In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.
23 It comes to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sends forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Indeed, He rains on him in his eating.
It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will cast his fierce anger upon him, and will rain it upon him into his flesh.
24 He flees from an iron weapon, A bow of bronze passes through him.
If he have fled from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 One has drawn, And it comes out from the body, And a glittering weapon proceeds from his gall. Terrors [are] on him.
He draweth it forth; it cometh out of his body, and the glittering point out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness is hid for his treasures, A fire not blown consumes him, The remnant is broken in his tent.
All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown shall devour him; it shall feed upon what is left in his tent.
27 The heavens reveal his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house is removed, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
The increase of his house shall depart, flowing away in the day of his anger.
29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.”
This is the portion of the wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God.
