אִיּוֹב 20

1 וַ֭יַּעַן צֹפַ֥ר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Zophar the Naamathite answers and says:

2 לָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃

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

3 מוּסַ֣ר כְּלִמָּתִ֣י אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וְ֝ר֗וּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִ֥י יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃

I hear the discipline of my shame, And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer:

4 הֲזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַ֑ד מִנִּ֤י שִׂ֖ים אָדָ֣ם עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

Have you known this from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

5 כִּ֤י רִנְנַ֣ת רְ֭שָׁעִים מִקָּרֹ֑וב וְשִׂמְחַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃

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

6 אִם־יַעֲלֶ֣ה לַשָּׁמַ֣יִם שִׂיאֹ֑ו וְ֝רֹאשֹׁ֗ו לָעָ֥ב יַגִּֽיעַ׃

Though his excellence goes up to the heavens, He strikes his head against a cloud—

7 כְּֽ֭גֶלֲלֹו לָנֶ֣צַח יֹאבֵ֑ד רֹ֝אָ֗יו יֹאמְר֥וּ אַיֹּֽו׃

He perishes as his own dung forever, His beholders say, Where [is] he?

8 כַּחֲלֹ֣ום יָ֭עוּף וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד כְּחֶזְיֹ֥ון לָֽיְלָה׃

He flees as a dream, and they do not find him, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,

9 עַ֣יִן שְׁ֭זָפַתּוּ וְלֹ֣א תֹוסִ֑יף וְלֹא־עֹ֝֗וד תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ מְקֹומֹֽו׃

The eye has not seen him, and does not add. And his place does not behold him again.

10 בָּ֭נָיו יְרַצּ֣וּ דַלִּ֑ים וְ֝יָדָ֗יו תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה אֹונֹֽו׃

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

11 עַ֭צְמֹותָיו מָלְא֣וּ עֲלוּמֹו (עֲלוּמָ֑יו) וְ֝עִמֹּ֗ו עַל־עָפָ֥ר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃

His bones have been full of his youth, and it lies down with him on the dust.

12 אִם־תַּמְתִּ֣יק בְּפִ֣יו רָעָ֑ה יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה תַּ֣חַת לְשֹׁונֹֽו׃

Though he sweetens evil in his mouth, hides it under his tongue,

13 יַחְמֹ֣ל עָ֭לֶיהָ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעַזְבֶ֑נָּה וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה בְּתֹ֣וךְ חִכֹּֽו׃

has pity on it, and does not forsake it, and keeps it back in the midst of his palate,

14 לַ֭חְמֹו בְּמֵעָ֣יו נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ מְרֹורַ֖ת פְּתָנִ֣ים בְּקִרְבֹּֽו׃

his food is turned in his bowels, the bitterness of cobras [is] in his heart.

15 חַ֣יִל בָּ֭לַע וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ מִ֝בִּטְנֹ֗ו יֹֽורִשֶׁ֥נּוּ אֵֽל׃

He has swallowed wealth, and vomits it. God drives it out from his belly.

16 רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִ֥ים יִינָ֑ק תַּֽ֝הַרְגֵ֗הוּ לְשֹׁ֣ון אֶפְעֶֽה׃

He sucks [the] gall of cobras, the tongue of a viper slays him.

17 אַל־יֵ֥רֶא בִפְלַגֹּ֑ות נַהֲרֵ֥י נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י דְּבַ֣שׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃

He does not look on streams, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

18 מֵשִׁ֣יב יָ֭גָע וְלֹ֣א יִבְלָ֑ע כְּחֵ֥יל תְּ֝מוּרָתֹ֗ו וְלֹ֣א יַעֲלֹֽס׃

He is giving back [what] he labored for, and does not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he does not exult.

19 כִּֽי־רִ֭צַּץ עָזַ֣ב דַּלִּ֑ים בַּ֥יִת גָּ֝זַ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃

For he oppressed—he forsook the poor, He has taken a house away violently, And he does not build it.

20 כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יָדַ֣ע שָׁלֵ֣ו בְּבִטְנֹ֑ו בַּ֝חֲמוּדֹ֗ו לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃

For he has not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he does not deliver himself.

21 אֵין־שָׂרִ֥יד לְאָכְלֹ֑ו עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן לֹא־יָחִ֥יל טוּבֹֽו׃

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

22 בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקֹו יֵ֣צֶר לֹ֑ו כָּל־יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃

In the fullness of his sufficiency he is constricted. Every perverse hand meets him.

23 יְהִ֤י ׀ לְמַלֵּ֬א בִטְנֹ֗ו יְֽשַׁלַּח־בֹּ֖ו חֲרֹ֣ון אַפֹּ֑ו וְיַמְטֵ֥ר עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו בִּלְחוּמֹֽו׃

It comes to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sends forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Indeed, He rains on him in his eating.

24 יִ֭בְרַח מִנֵּ֣שֶׁק בַּרְזֶ֑ל תַּ֝חְלְפֵ֗הוּ קֶ֣שֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

He flees from an iron weapon, A bow of bronze passes through him.

25 שָׁלַף֮ וַיֵּצֵ֪א מִגֵּ֫וָ֥ה וּ֭בָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָתֹ֥ו יַהֲלֹ֗ךְ עָלָ֥יו אֵמִֽים׃

One has drawn, And it comes out from the body, And a glittering weapon proceeds from his gall. Terrors [are] on him.

26 כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ טָמ֪וּן לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו תְּ֭אָכְלֵהוּ אֵ֣שׁ לֹֽא־נֻפָּ֑ח יֵ֖רַע שָׂרִ֣יד בְּאָהֳלֹֽו׃

All darkness is hid for his treasures, A fire not blown consumes him, The remnant is broken in his tent.

27 יְגַלּ֣וּ שָׁמַ֣יִם עֲוֹנֹ֑ו וְ֝אֶ֗רֶץ מִתְקֹומָ֘מָ֥ה לֹֽו׃

The heavens reveal his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

28 יִ֭גֶל יְב֣וּל בֵּיתֹ֑ו נִ֝גָּרֹ֗ות בְּיֹ֣ום אַפֹּֽו׃

The increase of his house is removed, Poured forth in a day of His anger.

29 זֶ֤ה ׀ חֵֽלֶק־אָדָ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְנַחֲלַ֖ת אִמְרֹ֣ו מֵאֵֽל׃ פ

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