Job 20
1 And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —
And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.
3 The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:
I hear a reproof putting me to shame; and [my] spirit answereth me by mine understanding.
4 This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
Knowest thou [not] this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment?
6 Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike —
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,
7 As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?'
Like his own dung doth he perish for ever; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
He flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.
The eye which saw him shall [see him] not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.
10 His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.
His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth.
11 His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.
His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth [and] he hide it under his tongue,
13 Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,
[Though] he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his mouth,
14 His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.
His food is turned in his bowels; it is the gall of asps within him.
15 Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.
He hath swallowed down riches, but he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.
He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall kill him.
17 He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
He shall not see streams, rivers, brooks of honey and butter.
18 He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not.
That which he laboured for shall he restore, and not swallow down; its restitution shall be according to the value, and he shall not rejoice [therein].
19 For he oppressed — he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.
For he hath oppressed, hath forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house that he did not build.
20 For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.
Because he knew no rest in his craving, he shall save nought of what he most desired.
21 There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.
Nothing escaped his greediness; therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.
In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.
23 It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.
It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will cast his fierce anger upon him, and will rain it upon him into his flesh.
24 He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.
If he have fled from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors.
He draweth it forth; it cometh out of his body, and the glittering point out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.
All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown shall devour him; it shall feed upon what is left in his tent.
27 Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
The increase of his house shall depart, flowing away in the day of his anger.
29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.
This is the portion of the wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God.
