אִיּוֹב 20

1 וַ֭יַּעַן צֹפַ֥ר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

2 לָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃

“My thoughts make me answer quickly because of the worry that is in me.

3 מוּסַ֣ר כְּלִמָּתִ֣י אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וְ֝ר֗וּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִ֥י יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃

I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, but a spirit from my understanding answers me.

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

Do you not know this fact from ancient times, when God placed man on earth:

5 כִּ֤י רִנְנַ֣ת רְ֭שָׁעִים מִקָּרֹ֑וב וְשִׂמְחַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃

the triumph of a wicked man is short, and the joy of a godless man lasts only for a moment?

6 אִם־יַעֲלֶ֣ה לַשָּׁמַ֣יִם שִׂיאֹ֑ו וְ֝רֹאשֹׁ֗ו לָעָ֥ב יַגִּֽיעַ׃

Though his height reaches up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds,

7 כְּֽ֭גֶלֲלֹו לָנֶ֣צַח יֹאבֵ֑ד רֹ֝אָ֗יו יֹאמְר֥וּ אַיֹּֽו׃

yet such a person will perish permanently like his own feces; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'

8 כַּחֲלֹ֣ום יָ֭עוּף וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד כְּחֶזְיֹ֥ון לָֽיְלָה׃

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 עַ֣יִן שְׁ֭זָפַתּוּ וְלֹ֣א תֹוסִ֑יף וְלֹא־עֹ֝֗וד תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ מְקֹומֹֽו׃

The eye that saw him will see him no more; his place will see him no longer.

10 בָּ֭נָיו יְרַצּ֣וּ דַלִּ֑ים וְ֝יָדָ֗יו תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה אֹונֹֽו׃

His children will apologize to poor people; his hands will have to give back his wealth.

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

His bones are full of youthful strength, but it will lie down with him in the dust.

12 אִם־תַּמְתִּ֣יק בְּפִ֣יו רָעָ֑ה יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה תַּ֣חַת לְשֹׁונֹֽו׃

Although wickedness is sweet in his mouth, although he hides it under his tongue,

13 יַחְמֹ֣ל עָ֭לֶיהָ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעַזְבֶ֑נָּה וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה בְּתֹ֣וךְ חִכֹּֽו׃

although he holds it there and does not let it go but keeps it still in his mouth—

14 לַ֭חְמֹו בְּמֵעָ֣יו נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ מְרֹורַ֖ת פְּתָנִ֣ים בְּקִרְבֹּֽו׃

the food in his intestines turns bitter; it becomes the poison of asps inside him.

15 חַ֣יִל בָּ֭לַע וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ מִ֝בִּטְנֹ֗ו יֹֽורִשֶׁ֥נּוּ אֵֽל׃

He swallows down riches, but he will vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his stomach.

16 רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִ֥ים יִינָ֑ק תַּֽ֝הַרְגֵ֗הוּ לְשֹׁ֣ון אֶפְעֶֽה׃

He will suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue will kill him.

17 אַל־יֵ֥רֶא בִפְלַגֹּ֑ות נַהֲרֵ֥י נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י דְּבַ֣שׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃

He will not enjoy the streams, the torrents of honey and butter.

18 מֵשִׁ֣יב יָ֭גָע וְלֹ֣א יִבְלָ֑ע כְּחֵ֥יל תְּ֝מוּרָתֹ֗ו וְלֹ֣א יַעֲלֹֽס׃

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 כִּֽי־רִ֭צַּץ עָזַ֣ב דַּלִּ֑ים בַּ֥יִת גָּ֝זַ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃

For he has oppressed and neglected poor people; he has violently taken away houses that he did not build.

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

Because he has known no satisfaction himself, he will not be able to save anything in which he takes pleasure.

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

There is nothing left that he did not devour; therefore his prosperity will not be permanent.

22 בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקֹו יֵ֣צֶר לֹ֑ו כָּל־יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃

In the abundance of his wealth he will fall into trouble; the hand of everyone who is in poverty will come against him.

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

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 יִ֭בְרַח מִנֵּ֣שֶׁק בַּרְזֶ֑ל תַּ֝חְלְפֵ֗הוּ קֶ֣שֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

Although that man will flee from the iron weapon, a bow of bronze will shoot him.

25 שָׁלַף֮ וַיֵּצֵ֪א מִגֵּ֫וָ֥ה וּ֭בָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָתֹ֥ו יַהֲלֹ֗ךְ עָלָ֥יו אֵמִֽים׃

He pulls it out of his back and the gleaming point comes out of his liver. Terrors come over him.

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

Complete darkness is reserved for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; it will consume what is left in his tent.

27 יְגַלּ֣וּ שָׁמַ֣יִם עֲוֹנֹ֑ו וְ֝אֶ֗רֶץ מִתְקֹומָ֘מָ֥ה לֹֽו׃

The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him as a witness.

28 יִ֭גֶל יְב֣וּל בֵּיתֹ֑ו נִ֝גָּרֹ֗ות בְּיֹ֣ום אַפֹּֽו׃

The wealth of his house will vanish; his goods will flow away on the day of God's wrath.

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

This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage reserved for him by God.”