איוב 20
| ויען צפר הנעמתי ויאמר | 1 |
Then answered Zophar the Na'amathite, and said,
| לכן שעפי ישיבוני ובעבור חושי בי | 2 |
Even therefore do my inmost thoughts give me an answer, and for this reason do I feel a strong excitement within me.
| מוסר כלמתי אשמע ורוח מבינתי יענני | 3 |
Reproof which casteth shame on me must I hear; yet out of my understanding will the spirit give me an answer.
| הזאת ידעת מני-עד מני שים אדם עלי-ארץ | 4 |
Dost thou know this? from the very beginning of things, from the very time when man was placed upon earth it was,
| כי רננת רשעים מקרוב ושמחת חנף עדי-רגע | 5 |
That the triumphal shouting of the wicked is ever of but a recent date, and the joy of the hypocrite endureth only for a moment.
| אם-יעלה לשמים שיאו וראשו לעב יגיע | 6 |
Though his exaltation should mount up to the heavens, and his head should reach unto the clouds;
| כגללו לנצח יאבד ראיו יאמרו איו | 7 |
Yet when he but turneth round will he vanish for ever; those who have seen him will say, Where is he?
| כחלום יעוף ולא ימצאהו וידד כחזיון לילה | 8 |
Like a dream will he fly away, and men will find him no more; yea, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
| עין שזפתו ולא תוסיף ולא-עוד תשורנו מקומו | 9 |
If an eye have surveyed him, it will not do so again, and it will not behold him any more in his place.
| בניו ירצו דלים וידיו תשבנה אונו | 10 |
His children will suffer oppression from the indigent, and his hands will have to restore his [ill-gotten] wealth.
| עצמותיו מלאו עלומו ועמו על-עפר תשכב | 11 |
[Now] his bones are full of his youthful vigor; but it will [suddenly] lie down with him in the dust.
| אם-תמתיק בפיו רעה-- יכחידנה תחת לשנו | 12 |
If the evil be sweet in his mouth, he will conceal it under his tongue;
| יחמל עליה ולא יעזבנה וימנענה בתוך חכו | 13 |
He will cherish it, and not forsake it; and hold it back within his palate;
| לחמו במעיו נהפך מרורת פתנים בקרבו | 14 |
His food is thus changed within his bowels, and becometh the venom of asps within him.
| חיל בלע ויקאנו מבטנו ירשנו אל | 15 |
The wealth which he hath swallowed, will he have to vomit up again; God will drive it out of his belly.
| ראש-פתנים יינק תהרגהו לשון אפעה | 16 |
The poison of asps will he have to suck; the viper's tongue will slay him.
| אל-ירא בפלגות-- נהרי נחלי דבש וחמאה | 17 |
He shall not look with pleasure on streams, on flowing brooks of honey and cream.
| משיב יגע ולא יבלע כחיל תמורתו ולא יעלס | 18 |
He restoreth what he hath labored for, and will not swallow it down; however much he may have obtained by toil, he will not have any joy of it.
| כי-רצץ עזב דלים בית גזל ולא יבנהו | 19 |
Because he oppressed and forsook the indigent; because he took violently away a house, shall he not rebuild it;
| כי לא-ידע שלו בבטנו בחמודו לא ימלט | 20 |
Because he knew not quietness in his bosom, shall he not escape through what is the most precious to him.
| אין-שריד לאכלו על-כן לא-יחיל טובו | 21 |
Nothing was spared from his craving to eat: therefore shall his wealth not prosper.
| במלאות שפקו יצר לו כל-יד עמל תבאנו | 22 |
In the fulness of his abundance will distress assail him: every hand of [those he] troubled will come against him.
| יהי למלא בטנו--ישלח-בו חרון אפו וימטר עלימו בלחומו | 23 |
In order to fill his belly, [God] will send out against him the fury of his wrath, and will rain it upon him for his eating.
| יברח מנשק ברזל תחלפהו קשת נחושה | 24 |
If he flee from the iron weapon, the brazen bow will strike him through.
| שלף ויצא מגוה וברק ממררתו יהלך עליו אמים | 25 |
He draweth it, and it cometh out of the body; yea, out of his gall the glittering [arrow] cometh forth: over him come the terrors [of death].
| כל-חשך טמון לצפוניו תאכלהו אש לא-נפח ירע שריד באהלו | 26 |
Entire darkness is laid by for his treasures: a fire not urged by blowing will consume him; it will destroy any one that is left in his tent.
| יגלו שמים עונו וארץ מתקוממה לו | 27 |
The heavens will lay open his iniquity; and the earth will raise herself up against him.
| יגל יבול ביתו נגרות ביום אפו | 28 |
The product of his house will be banished, flowing away on the day of his wrath.
| זה חלק-אדם רשע--מאלהים ונחלת אמרו מאל | 29 |
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and his decreed heritage from God.
