Job 20

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:

And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

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

Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.

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

I hear a reproof putting me to shame; and [my] spirit answereth me by mine understanding.

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

Knowest thou [not] this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,

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

The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment?

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

Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,

7 Yet shall he perish for ever, and be mingled with dust; They who saw him shall 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 shall flee away like a dream, and shall not be found; Yea, he shall disappear like a vision of the nigh.

He flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased away as a vision of 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 which saw him shall [see him] not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.

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

His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth.

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

His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

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

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth [and] he hide it under his tongue,

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

[Though] he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his mouth,

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

His food is turned in his bowels; it is the gall of asps 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 hath swallowed down riches, but he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

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

He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall kill him.

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

He shall not see streams, rivers, brooks of honey and butter.

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.

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

For he hath oppressed, hath forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house that he did not build.

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

Because he knew no rest in his craving, he shall save nought of what he most desired.

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

Nothing escaped his greediness; therefore his prosperity shall 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 fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; every hand of the wretched shall 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.

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

If he have fled from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through.

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;

He draweth it forth; it cometh out of his body, and the glittering point out of his gall: terrors are upon 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.

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

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

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

The increase of his house shall depart, flowing away in the day of his anger.

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

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