Job 20

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:

Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

2 For this do my thoughts lead me to reply, And for this is my ardor within me.

“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.

3 I have heard my shameful rebuke; And the spirit, from my understanding, answereth for me.

I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.

4 Knowest thou not, that from the days of old, From the time when man was placed upon the earth,

Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,

5 The triumphing of the wicked hath been short, And the joy of the impious but for a moment?

the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?

6 Though his greatness mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,

Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,

7 Yet shall he perish for ever, and be mingled with dust; They who saw him shall say, Where is he?

he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’

8 He shall flee away like a dream, and shall not be found; Yea, he shall disappear like a vision of the nigh.

He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.

9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more, And his dwelling-place shall never more behold him.

The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.

10 His sons shall seek the favor of the poor, And their hands shall give back his wealth.

His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth.

11 His bones are full of his youth, But they shall lie down with him in the dust.

The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.

12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,

Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,

13 Though he cherish it, and will not part with it, And keep it fast in his mouth,

though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,

14 Yet his meat shall be changed within him, And become to him the poison of asps.

yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.

15 He hath glutted himself with riches, And he shall throw them up again; Yea, God shall cast them out of his body.

He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.

16 He shall suck the poison of asps; The tongue of the viper shall destroy him.

He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.

17 He shall never see the flowing streams, And the rivers of honey and milk.

He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

18 The fruits of his toil he shall give back, and shall not enjoy them: It is substance to be restored, and he shall not rejoice therein.

He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.

19 Because he hath oppressed and abandoned the poor, And seized upon the house which he did not build;

For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build.

20 Because he knew no rest in his bosom, He shall not save that in which he delighteth.

Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.

21 Because nothing escaped his greediness, His prosperity shall not endure.

Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.

22 In the fulness of his abundance he shall be brought low; Every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.

In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.

23 He shall, indeed, have wherewith to fill himself: God shall send upon him the fury of his anger, And rain it down upon him for his food.

When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.

24 If he fleeth from the iron weapon, The bow of brass shall pierce him through.

Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.

25 He draweth the arrow, and it cometh forth from his body; Yea, the glittering steel cometh out of his gall. Terrors are upon him;

It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him.

26 Calamity of every kind is treasured up for him. A fire not blown shall consume him; It shall consume whatever is left in his tent.

Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.

27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him.

The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.

28 The substance of his house shall disappear; It shall flow away in the day of His wrath.

The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.

29 Such is the portion of the wicked man from God, And the inheritance appointed for him by the Almighty.

This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.”