Job 20

1 And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:

2 Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.

For this do my thoughts lead me to reply, And for this is my ardor within me.

3 The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:

I have heard my shameful rebuke; And the spirit, from my understanding, answereth for me.

4 This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

Knowest thou not, that from the days of old, From the time when man was placed upon the earth,

5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,

The triumphing of the wicked hath been short, And the joy of the impious but for a moment?

6 Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike —

Though his greatness mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,

7 As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?'

Yet shall he perish for ever, and be mingled with dust; They who saw 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 shall flee away like a dream, and shall not be found; Yea, he shall disappear like a vision of the nigh.

9 The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

The eye also which saw him shall see him no more, And his dwelling-place shall never more behold him.

10 His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.

His sons shall seek the favor of the poor, And their hands shall give back his wealth.

11 His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

His bones are full of his youth, But they 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, Though 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 cherish it, and will not part with it, And keep it fast in his mouth,

14 His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.

Yet his meat shall be changed within him, And become to him the poison of asps.

15 Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.

He hath glutted himself with riches, And he shall throw them up again; Yea, God shall cast them out of his body.

16 Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.

He shall suck the poison of asps; The tongue of the viper shall destroy him.

17 He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

He shall never see the flowing streams, And the rivers of honey and milk.

18 He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not.

The fruits of his toil he shall give back, and shall not enjoy them: It is substance to be restored, 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.

Because he hath oppressed and abandoned the poor, And seized upon the house which 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 bosom, He shall not save that in which he delighteth.

21 There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.

Because nothing escaped his greediness, 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 abundance he shall be brought low; 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.

He shall, indeed, have wherewith to fill himself: God shall send upon him the fury of his anger, And rain it down upon him for his food.

24 He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

If he fleeth from the iron weapon, The bow of brass shall pierce 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 the arrow, and it cometh forth from his body; Yea, the glittering steel cometh 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.

Calamity of every kind is treasured up for him. A fire not blown shall consume him; It shall consume whatever 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 substance of his house shall disappear; It shall flow away in the day of His wrath.

29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.

Such is the portion of the wicked man from God, And the inheritance appointed for him by the Almighty.