Job 20
1 Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —
Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:
Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for [this] I make haste.
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 the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4 Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —
Knowest thou [not] this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment?
6 Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
Though his excellence shall mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds;
7 Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?
[Yet] he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they who have seen 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.
He shall fly away as a dream, and will not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as 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 also [which] saw him shall [see him] no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.
His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
11 His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.
His bones are full [of the sin] of his youth, which 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 wickedness may be sweet in his mouth, [though] he may 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 may spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
14 His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!
[Yet] his food in his bowels is turned, [it is] the gall of asps within him.
15 Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
17 Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.
He shall not see the river, the floods, the brooks of honey and buttermilk.
18 In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow [it]: according to [his] substance [shall] the restitution [be], and he shall not rejoice [in it].
19 For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
Because he hath oppressed [and] hath forsaken the poor; [because] he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build.
20 Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21 Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
There shall none of his food be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22 When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.
In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked 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.
[When] he is about to fill his belly, [God] shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain [it] upon him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
He shall flee from the iron weapon, [and] the bow of steel shall strike him through.
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, and cometh out of the body; yes, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors [are] 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:
All darkness [shall be] hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:
The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.
The increase of his house shall depart, [and his goods] shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
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 a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God.
