Job 20
1 And Zophar the Naamathite answers and says:
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
“My thoughts make me answer quickly because of the worry that is in me.
3 I hear the discipline of my shame, And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer:
I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, but a spirit from my understanding answers me.
4 Have you known this from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
Do you not know this fact from ancient times, when God placed man on earth:
5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
the triumph of a wicked man is short, and the joy of a godless man lasts only for a moment?
6 Though his excellence goes up to the heavens, He strikes his head against a cloud—
Though his height reaches up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds,
7 He perishes as his own dung forever, His beholders say, Where [is] he?
yet such a person will perish permanently like his own feces; those who have seen him will 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 will fly away like a dream and will not be found; indeed, he will be chased away like 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 that saw him will see him no more; his place will see him no longer.
10 His sons oppress the poor, And his hands give back his wealth.
His children will apologize to poor people; his hands will have to give back his wealth.
11 His bones have been full of his youth, and it lies down with him on the dust.
His bones are full of youthful strength, but it will lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though he sweetens evil in his mouth, hides it under his tongue,
Although wickedness is sweet in his mouth, although he hides it under his tongue,
13 has pity on it, and does not forsake it, and keeps it back in the midst of his palate,
although he holds it there and does not let it go but keeps it still in his mouth—
14 his food is turned in his bowels, the bitterness of cobras [is] in his heart.
the food in his intestines turns bitter; it becomes the poison of asps inside him.
15 He has swallowed wealth, and vomits it. God drives it out from his belly.
He swallows down riches, but he will vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his stomach.
16 He sucks [the] gall of cobras, the tongue of a viper slays him.
He will suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue will kill him.
17 He does not look on streams, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
He will not enjoy the streams, the torrents 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.
He will give back the fruit of his labor and will not be able to eat it; he will not enjoy the wealth earned by his commerce.
19 For he oppressed—he forsook the poor, He has taken a house away violently, And he does not build it.
For he has oppressed and neglected poor people; he has violently taken away houses 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 has known no satisfaction himself, he will not be able to save anything in which he takes pleasure.
21 There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good does not stay.
There is nothing left that he did not devour; therefore his prosperity will not be permanent.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he is constricted. Every perverse hand meets him.
In the abundance of his wealth he will fall into trouble; the hand of everyone who is in poverty will come against 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.
When he is about to fill his stomach, God will throw the fierceness of his wrath on him; God will rain it down on him while he is eating.
24 He flees from an iron weapon, A bow of bronze passes through him.
Although that man will flee from the iron weapon, a bow of bronze will shoot him.
25 One has drawn, And it comes out from the body, And a glittering weapon proceeds from his gall. Terrors [are] on him.
He pulls it out of his back and the gleaming point comes out of his liver. Terrors come over him.
26 All darkness is hid for his treasures, A fire not blown consumes him, The remnant is broken in his tent.
Complete darkness is reserved for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; it will consume what is left in his tent.
27 The heavens reveal his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him as a witness.
28 The increase of his house is removed, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
The wealth of his house will vanish; his goods will flow away on the day of God's wrath.
29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.”
This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage reserved for him by God.”
