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.

Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.

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

I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame, and the spirit of my understanding answereth me.

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

Knowest thou [not] this of old time, since man was placed upon earth,

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

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

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

Though his excellency 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?'

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: 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 shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be 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 no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

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 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 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, 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 spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;

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

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, 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, and 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 slay him.

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

He shall not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams 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 shall not swallow it down; according to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.

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 and forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away an house, and he shall not build it up.

20 For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.

Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.

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

There was nothing left that he devoured not; 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: the hand of every one that is in misery 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.

When he is about to fill his belly, [God] shall cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

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

He shall flee from the iron weapon, and 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, and it cometh out of his body: yea, the glittering point 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.

All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown [by man] shall devour him; it shall consume that which 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, [his goods] 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.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.