Job 20
1 Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 Therfor my thouytis dyuerse comen oon aftir anothir; and the mynde is rauyischid in to dyuerse thingis.
“My thoughts make me answer quickly because of the worry that is in me.
3 Y schal here the techyng, bi which thou repreuest me; and the spirit of myn vndurstondyng schal answere me.
I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, but a spirit from my understanding answers me.
4 Y woot this fro the bigynnyng, sithen man was set on erthe,
Do you not know this fact from ancient times, when God placed man on earth:
5 that the preisyng of wickid men is schort, and the ioie of an ypocrite is at the licnesse of a poynt.
the triumph of a wicked man is short, and the joy of a godless man lasts only for a moment?
6 Thouy his pride `stieth in to heuene, and his heed touchith the cloudis,
Though his height reaches up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds,
7 he schal be lost in the ende, as a dunghil; and, thei that sien hym, schulen seie, Where is he?
yet such a person will perish permanently like his own feces; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'
8 As a dreem fleynge awei he schal not be foundun; he schal passe as `a nyytis siyt.
He will fly away like a dream and will not be found; indeed, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The iye that siy hym schal not se; and his place schal no more biholde him.
The eye that saw him will see him no more; his place will see him no longer.
10 Hise sones schulen be `al to-brokun with nedynesse; and hise hondis schulen yelde to hym his sorewe.
His children will apologize to poor people; his hands will have to give back his wealth.
11 Hise boonys schulen be fillid with the vices of his yong wexynge age; and schulen slepe with hym in dust.
His bones are full of youthful strength, but it will lie down with him in the dust.
12 For whanne yuel was swete in his mouth, he hidde it vndur his tunge.
Although wickedness is sweet in his mouth, although he hides it under his tongue,
13 He schal spare it, and schal not forsake it; and schal hide in his throte.
although he holds it there and does not let it go but keeps it still in his mouth—
14 His breed in his wombe schal be turned in to galle of snakis withynne.
the food in his intestines turns bitter; it becomes the poison of asps inside him.
15 He schal spue out the richessis, whiche he deuouride; and God schal drawe tho ritchessis out of his wombe.
He swallows down riches, but he will vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his stomach.
16 He schal souke the heed of snakis; and the tunge of an addre schal sle hym.
He will suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue will kill him.
17 Se he not the stremys of the flood of the stronde, of hony, and of botere.
He will not enjoy the streams, the torrents of honey and butter.
18 He schal suffre peyne for alle thingis whiche he hath do, netheles he schal not be wastid; aftir the multitude of his fyndyngis, so and `he schal suffre.
He will give back the fruit of his labor and will not be able to eat it; he will not enjoy the wealth earned by his commerce.
19 For he brake, and made nakid the hows of a pore man; he rauyschide, and bildide it not.
For he has oppressed and neglected poor people; he has violently taken away houses that he did not build.
20 And his wombe was not fillid; and whanne he hath that, that he couetide, he may not holde in possessioun.
Because he has known no satisfaction himself, he will not be able to save anything in which he takes pleasure.
21 `No thing lefte of his mete; and therfor no thing schal dwelle of his goodis.
There is nothing left that he did not devour; therefore his prosperity will not be permanent.
22 Whanne he is fillid, he schal be maad streit; he schal `be hoot, and alle sorewe schal falle in on hym.
In the abundance of his wealth he will fall into trouble; the hand of everyone who is in poverty will come against him.
23 `Y wolde, that his wombe be fillid, that he sende out in to hym the ire of his strong veniaunce, and reyne his batel on hym.
When he is about to fill his stomach, God will throw the fierceness of his wrath on him; God will rain it down on him while he is eating.
24 He schal fle yrun armuris, and he schal falle in to a brasun boowe.
Although that man will flee from the iron weapon, a bow of bronze will shoot him.
25 Led out, and goynge out `of his schethe, and schynynge, `ether smytinge with leit, `in to his bittirnesse; orrible fendis schulen go, and schulen come on hym.
He pulls it out of his back and the gleaming point comes out of his liver. Terrors come over him.
26 Alle derknessis ben hid in hise priuytees; fier, which is not teendid, schal deuoure hym; he schal be turmentid left in his tabernacle.
Complete darkness is reserved for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; it will consume what is left in his tent.
27 Heuenes schulen schewe his wickidnesse; and erthe schal rise togidere ayens hym.
The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him as a witness.
28 The seed of his hows schal be opyn; it schal be drawun doun in the dai of the strong veniaunce of the Lord.
The wealth of his house will vanish; his goods will flow away on the day of God's wrath.
29 This is the part of a wickid man, `which part is youun of God, and the eritage of hise wordis of the Lord.
This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage reserved for him by God.”
