Job 20
1 Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2 Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:
“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
3 The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.
I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.
4 Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —
Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,
5 That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
6 Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,
7 Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen 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 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.
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 that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:
The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.
10 His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, 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 youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.
The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;
Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,
13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,
though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,
14 His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!
yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.
15 Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.
16 The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.
17 Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.
He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
19 For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build.
20 Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.
21 Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.
22 When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.
In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.
23 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.
When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.
24 He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.
25 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:
It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him.
26 Every misfortune, is laid up for his treasures, —There shall consume, a fire, not blown up, —it shall destroy what remaineth 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, be rising up against him:
The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.
The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.
29 This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.
This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.”
