Job 20

1 Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —

Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,

2 Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:

I did not suppose that you would answer thus: neither do you understand more than I.

3 The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.

I will hear my shameful reproach; and the spirit of my understanding answers me.

4 Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —

Hast you [not] known these things of old, from the time that man was set upon the earth?

5 That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?

But the mirth of the ungodly is a signal downfall, and the joy of transgressors is destruction:

6 Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,

although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the clouds.

7 Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?

For when he shall seem to be now established, then he shall utterly perish: and they that knew him shall say, 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.

Like a dream that has fled away, he shall not be found; and he has fled like a vision of the night.

9 The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:

The eye has looked upon him, but shall not [see him] again; and his place shall no longer perceive him.

10 His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.

Let [his] inferiors destroy his children, and let his hands kindle the fire of sorrow.

11 His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.

His bones have been filled with [vigour of] his youth, and it shall 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 be sweet in his mouth, [though] he will hide 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 will not spare it, and will not leave it, but will keep it in the midst of his throat:

14 His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!

yet he shall not at all be able to help himself; the gall of an asp is in his belly.

15 Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:

[His] wealth unjustly collected shall be vomited up; a messenger [of wrath] shall drag him out of his house.

16 The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;

And let him suck the poison of serpents, and let the serpent's tongue kill him.

17 Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.

Let him not see the milk of the pastures, nor the supplies of honey and butter.

18 In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!

He has laboured unprofitably and in vain, [for] wealth of which he shall not taste: [it is] as a lean thing, unfit for food, which he can’t swallow.

19 For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.

For he has broken down the houses of many mighty men: and he has plundered an habitation, though he built [it] not.

20 Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:

There is no security to his possessions; he shall not be saved by his desire.

21 Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:

There is nothing remaining of his provisions; therefore his goods shall not flourish.

22 When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.

But when he shall seem to be just satisfied, he shall be straitened; and all distress shall 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.

If by any means he would fill his belly, let [God] send upon him the fury of wrath; let him bring a torrent of pains upon him.

24 He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!

And he shall by no means escape from the power of the sword; let the brazen bow wound 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:

And let the arrow pierce through his body; and let the stars be against his dwelling-place: let terrors come upon 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:

And let all darkness wait for him: a fire that burns not out shall consume him; and let a stranger plague his house.

27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:

And let the heaven reveal his iniquities, and the earth rise up against him.

28 The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.

Let destruction bring his house to an end; let a day of wrath come upon him.

29 This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.

This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of his goods [appointed him] by the all-seeing [God].