Job 20
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:
Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —
2 For this do my thoughts lead me to reply, And for this is my ardor within me.
Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:
3 I have heard my shameful rebuke; And the spirit, from my understanding, answereth for me.
The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.
4 Knowest thou not, that from the days of old, From the time when man was placed upon the earth,
Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —
5 The triumphing of the wicked hath been short, And the joy of the impious but for a moment?
That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
6 Though his greatness mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,
Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
7 Yet shall he perish for ever, and be mingled with dust; They who saw him shall say, Where is he?
Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had 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.
Like a dream, shall he fly away, and they shall not find him, yea he shall be 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 that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:
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 own hand, shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youth, But they shall lie down with him in the dust.
His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,
Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though 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 will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,
14 Yet his meat shall be changed within him, And become to him the poison of asps.
His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, 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.
Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
16 He shall suck the poison of asps; The tongue of the viper shall destroy him.
The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
17 He shall never see the flowing streams, And the rivers of honey and milk.
Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.
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.
In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
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, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
20 Because he knew no rest in his bosom, He shall not save that in which he delighteth.
Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
21 Because nothing escaped his greediness, His prosperity shall not endure.
Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
22 In the fulness of his abundance he shall be brought low; Every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.
When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, 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 thrust at him the glow of his anger, and rain [it] upon him for his punishment.
24 If he fleeth from the iron weapon, The bow of brass shall pierce him through.
He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
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 hath drawn it out, and it hath come forth out of his back, —yea the flashing arrow-head, out of his gall, There shall march on him—terrors:
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.
Every misfortune, is laid up for his treasures, —There shall consume, a fire, not blown up, —it shall destroy what remaineth 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, be rising 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 vanish, melting 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 lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.
