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.
“My thoughts make me answer quickly because of the worry that is in me.
3 The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:
I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, but a spirit from my understanding answers me.
4 This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
Do you not know this fact from ancient times, when God placed man on earth:
5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
the triumph of a wicked man is short, and the joy of a godless man lasts only for a moment?
6 Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike —
Though his height reaches up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds,
7 As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: '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 dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
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 eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.
The eye that saw him will see him no more; his place will see him no longer.
10 His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.
His children will apologize to poor people; his hands will have to 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 youthful strength, but it will lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,
Although wickedness is sweet in his mouth, although he hides it under his tongue,
13 Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,
although he holds it there and does not let it go but keeps it still in his mouth—
14 His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.
the food in his intestines turns bitter; it becomes the poison of asps inside him.
15 Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.
He swallows down riches, but he will vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his stomach.
16 Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.
He will suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue will kill him.
17 He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
He will not enjoy the streams, the torrents 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.
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 oppressed — he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.
For he has oppressed and neglected poor people; he has violently taken away houses 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 has known no satisfaction himself, he will not be able to save anything in which he takes pleasure.
21 There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.
There is nothing left that he did not devour; therefore his prosperity will not be permanent.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.
In the abundance of his wealth he will fall into trouble; the hand of everyone who is in poverty will come against 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 stomach, God will throw the fierceness of his wrath on him; God will rain it down on him while he is eating.
24 He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.
Although that man will flee from the iron weapon, a bow of bronze will shoot him.
25 One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors.
He pulls it out of his back and the gleaming point comes out of his liver. Terrors come over him.
26 All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.
Complete darkness is reserved for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; it will consume what is left in his tent.
27 Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him as a witness.
28 Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
The wealth of his house will vanish; his goods will flow away on the day of God's wrath.
29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.
This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage reserved for him by God.”
