Job 20

1 And Zophar the Naamathite answers and says:

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

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

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

3 I hear the discipline of my shame, And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer:

I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

4 Have you known this from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

Knowest thou not this 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,

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

6 Though his excellence goes up to the heavens, He strikes his head against a cloud—

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

7 He perishes as his own dung forever, His beholders say, Where [is] he?

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they who 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 shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be 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 also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

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

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

11 His bones have been full of his youth, and it lies down with him on the dust.

His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

12 Though he sweetens evil in his mouth, hides it under his tongue,

Though wickedness may be sweet in his mouth, though he may 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 may spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

14 his food is turned in his bowels, the bitterness of cobras [is] in his heart.

Yet his food in his body is turned, 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, and 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 slay him.

17 He does not look on streams, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the 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 shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice in it.

19 For he oppressed—he forsook the poor, He has taken a house away violently, And he does not build it.

Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he did not build;

20 For he has not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he does not deliver himself.

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

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

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

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 wicked 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.

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

24 He flees from an iron weapon, A bow of bronze passes through him.

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

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh 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 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 tent.

27 The heavens reveal his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

The heaven 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, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

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

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