Job 20
1 And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
“I'm forced to reply because I'm really upset!
3 The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:
What I hear you say insults me, but I know how to reply to you!
4 This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
Don't you know that since ancient times, since human beings were put on this earth,
5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
that the triumph of the wicked doesn't last long, that those who reject God are only happy for a short time?
6 Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike —
Even though they are so tall they reach the heavens, even though their heads reach the clouds,
7 As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?'
they will vanish forever like their own excrement. People who knew them will ask, ‘Where have they gone?’
8 As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
They will vanish like a dream, never to be found, fleeing like a vision of the night.
9 The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.
Those who once saw them will not see them anymore; their families will never set eyes on them again.
10 His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.
Their children will have to pay back the poor; they will have to return their wealth.
11 His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.
Though the wicked have bodies that are young and strong, they will die and be buried.
12 Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,
Though evil tastes sweet in their mouths and they hide it under their tongues,
13 Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,
not letting it go but keeping it in their mouths,
14 His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.
in their stomachs it turns bitter, becoming like snake venom inside them.
15 Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.
They swallow wealth and vomit it up again; God forces it from their stomachs.
16 Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.
They suck in snake venom; the bite of the viper will kill them.
17 He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
They will not live to enjoy the streams, the rivers of milk and honey.
18 He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not.
They will have to give back what they have gained and will not have any benefit; they will not enjoy any of their profits.
19 For he oppressed — he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.
For they have oppressed and abandoned the poor; they have seized houses they did not build.
20 For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.
Because their greed was never satisfied, nothing they liked is left that they didn't consume.
21 There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.
Nothing escapes their ravenous appetites, so their happiness doesn't last long.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.
Even when the wicked have all that they want they run into trouble; all kinds of misery will fall upon them.
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.
While they are busy filling their bellies, God's hostility will burn against them, raining down on them.
24 He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.
As they flee to escape an iron weapon, a bronze arrow will strike them down.
25 One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors.
The arrow is pulled out of their gall bladder, glistening with blood. They are absolutely terrified!
26 All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.
All they value will disappear into the darkness; divine fire will destroy them; all they have left will go up in smoke.
27 Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
The heavens reveal what they have done wrong; the earth will rise up against them.
28 Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
All their possessions will be carried from their homes; they will be dragged off on the day of God's judgment.
29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.
This is the share the wicked receive from God, the inheritance God says they should have.”
