Job 20
1 Then Zophar replied,
Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
2 “I am very perturbed about what you have said, so I want to reply very quickly.
For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
3 By saying these things you have insulted me, but I know how (OR, because I understand very much) I can reply to you.
I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.
4 “Do you not know that from long ago, ever since people were first put on the earth,
Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,
5 wicked people [like you] do not continue to rejoice for a long time, ungodly people are happy only for a (moment/very short time) [HYP]?
That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?
6 [Even] though their reputation/pride reaches up to the sky and their fame goes up as high as the clouds,
Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
7 they will disappear forever, like their own dung, and those who knew them will ask, ‘(Where did they go/What happened to them)?’
Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?
8 They will be forgotten like [SIM] a dream is, and they will exist no more. They will vanish, like visions [that people see] during the night.
He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.
9 Those who saw those people previously will never see them again; even their families [MTY] will not see them any more.
The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.
10 Their children will be forced to return the valuable things that those children stole from poor people [DOU].
His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
11 Previously their bodies were young and strong, but they will die and [their bodies will] be buried in the ground.
His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.
12 “Doing wicked things was like having sweet food in their mouths, and they wanted to continue to taste it.
Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
13 And they did not want to stop doing those things,
Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;
14 [but some day] the evil things that they enjoyed doing will become like food [that they swallow] [and which becomes] as bitter as snake venom.
His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.
15 Wicked people will not continue to keep the money they have accumulated, like people do not keep the food that they vomit. God takes their wealth from them.
He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.
16 What wicked people do is [like] [MET] swallowing snake venom; it will kill them like [MET] the bite of a poisonous snake kills people.
He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.
17 They will not remain alive to see abundant blessings [IDM] [from God], milk and olive oil and honey, that are [so abundant they are] like [MET] a stream that flows by.
Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
18 They will be forced to give back the things that they stole from the poor; they will not be able to continue to enjoy those things. They will not remain happy because of what they got from their businesses,
He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.
19 because they oppressed poor people and refused to help them, and they took other people’s houses [by cheating them].
Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;
20 “They were always greedy and never satisfied. They just keep dreaming about owning more and more things.
There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.
21 When they finished eating their food, there was never anything left over [because they had greedily eaten it all]; but now their prosperity will end.
He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.
22 When they are extremely prosperous/wealthy, they will suddenly experience a lot of trouble. (Misery will strike them and crush them [PRS]/They will suffer very greatly).
Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.
23 When the wicked people are filling their stomachs, God will show that he is very angry with them and punish them; the punishment [that he gives them] will be like [MET] rain falling on them.
God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.
24 They will try to escape from [being killed by] iron weapons, but arrows with bronze points will pierce them.
He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;
25 The arrows will [go completely through their bodies and] stick out of their backs; the shiny points of the arrows will have blood dripping from them, and those wicked people will be terrified.
He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.
26 Their valuable possessions will all be destroyed; a fire that is not lit by humans, [but by God, ] will burn them up and also destroy the things that are left in their tents.
All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.
27 The [angels in] heaven [MTY] will reveal the sins that those wicked people have committed, and [people on] earth will stand up and testify against them.
The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.
28 When God punishes [MTY] [people], all the possessions in the wicked people’s houses will be carried away by a flood.
The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.
29 That is what will happen to wicked people [like you]; that is what God has decided will happen to them.”
This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.
