איוב 20

1 וַיַּעַן צֹפַר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,

2 לָכֵן שְׂעִפַּי יְשִׁיבוּנִי וּבַעֲבוּר חוּשִׁי בִֽי׃

I did not suppose that you would answer thus: neither do you understand more than I.

3 מוּסַר כְּלִמָּתִי אֶשְׁמָע וְרוּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִי יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃

I will hear my shameful reproach; and the spirit of my understanding answers me.

4 הֲזֹאת יָדַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַד מִנִּי שִׂים אָדָם עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

Hast you [not] known these things of old, from the time that man was set upon the earth?

5 כִּי רִנְנַת רְשָׁעִים מִקָּרוֹב וְשִׂמְחַת חָנֵף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃

But the mirth of the ungodly is a signal downfall, and the joy of transgressors is destruction:

6 אִם־יַעֲלֶה לַשָּׁמַיִם שִׂיאוֹ וְרֹאשׁוֹ לָעָב יַגִּֽיעַ׃

although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the clouds.

7 כְּֽגֶלֲלוֹ לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵד רֹאָיו יֹאמְרוּ אַיּֽוֹ׃

For when he shall seem to be now established, then he shall utterly perish: and they that knew him shall say, Where is he?

8 כַּחֲלוֹם יָעוּף וְלֹא יִמְצָאוּהוּ וְיֻדַּד כְּחֶזְיוֹן לָֽיְלָה׃

Like a dream that has fled away, he shall not be found; and he has fled like a vision of the night.

9 עַיִן שְׁזָפַתּוּ וְלֹא תוֹסִיף וְלֹא־עוֹד תְּשׁוּרֶנּוּ מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃

The eye has looked upon him, but shall not [see him] again; and his place shall no longer perceive him.

10 בָּנָיו יְרַצּוּ דַלִּים וְיָדָיו תָּשֵׁבְנָה אוֹנֽוֹ׃

Let [his] inferiors destroy his children, and let his hands kindle the fire of sorrow.

11 עַצְמוֹתָיו מָלְאוּ עלומו עֲלוּמָיו וְעִמּוֹ עַל־עָפָר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃

His bones have been filled with [vigour of] his youth, and it shall lie down with him in the dust.

12 אִם־תַּמְתִּיק בְּפִיו רָעָה יַכְחִידֶנָּה תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֽוֹ׃

Though evil be sweet in his mouth, [though] he will hide it under his tongue;

13 יַחְמֹל עָלֶיהָ וְלֹא יַֽעַזְבֶנָּה וְיִמְנָעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ חִכּֽוֹ׃

though he will not spare it, and will not leave it, but will keep it in the midst of his throat:

14 לַחְמוֹ בְּמֵעָיו נֶהְפָּךְ מְרוֹרַת פְּתָנִים בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

yet he shall not at all be able to help himself; the gall of an asp is in his belly.

15 חַיִל בָּלַע וַיְקִאֶנּוּ מִבִּטְנוֹ יוֹרִשֶׁנּוּ אֵֽל׃

[His] wealth unjustly collected shall be vomited up; a messenger [of wrath] shall drag him out of his house.

16 רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִים יִינָק תַּֽהַרְגֵהוּ לְשׁוֹן אֶפְעֶֽה׃

And let him suck the poison of serpents, and let the serpent's tongue kill him.

17 אַל־יֵרֶא בִפְלַגּוֹת נַהֲרֵי נַחֲלֵי דְּבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃

Let him not see the milk of the pastures, nor the supplies of honey and butter.

18 מֵשִׁיב יָגָע וְלֹא יִבְלָע כְּחֵיל תְּמוּרָתוֹ וְלֹא יַעֲלֹֽס׃

He has laboured unprofitably and in vain, [for] wealth of which he shall not taste: [it is] as a lean thing, unfit for food, which he can’t swallow.

19 כִּֽי־רִצַּץ עָזַב דַּלִּים בַּיִת גָּזַל וְלֹא יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃

For he has broken down the houses of many mighty men: and he has plundered an habitation, though he built [it] not.

20 כִּי ׀ לֹא־יָדַע שָׁלֵו בְּבִטְנוֹ בַּחֲמוּדוֹ לֹא יְמַלֵּֽט׃

There is no security to his possessions; he shall not be saved by his desire.

21 אֵין־שָׂרִיד לְאָכְלוֹ עַל־כֵּן לֹא־יָחִיל טוּבֽוֹ׃

There is nothing remaining of his provisions; therefore his goods shall not flourish.

22 בִּמְלֹאות שִׂפְקוֹ יֵצֶר לוֹ כָּל־יַד עָמֵל תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃

But when he shall seem to be just satisfied, he shall be straitened; and all distress shall come upon him.

23 יְהִי ׀ לְמַלֵּא בִטְנוֹ יְֽשַׁלַּח־בּוֹ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְיַמְטֵר עָלֵימוֹ בִּלְחוּמֽוֹ׃

If by any means he would fill his belly, let [God] send upon him the fury of wrath; let him bring a torrent of pains upon him.

24 יִבְרַח מִנֵּשֶׁק בַּרְזֶל תַּחְלְפֵהוּ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

And he shall by no means escape from the power of the sword; let the brazen bow wound him.

25 שָׁלַף וַיֵּצֵא מִגֵּוָה וּבָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָתוֹ יַהֲלֹךְ עָלָיו אֵמִֽים׃

And let the arrow pierce through his body; and let the stars be against his dwelling-place: let terrors come upon him.

26 כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ טָמוּן לִצְפּוּנָיו תְּאָכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹֽא־נֻפָּח יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאָהֳלֽוֹ׃

And let all darkness wait for him: a fire that burns not out shall consume him; and let a stranger plague his house.

27 יְגַלּוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲוֺנוֹ וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לֽוֹ׃

And let the heaven reveal his iniquities, and the earth rise up against him.

28 יִגֶל יְבוּל בֵּיתוֹ נִגָּרוֹת בְּיוֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃

Let destruction bring his house to an end; let a day of wrath come upon him.

29 זֶה ׀ חֵֽלֶק־אָדָם רָשָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִים וְנַחֲלַת אִמְרוֹ מֵאֵֽל׃

This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of his goods [appointed him] by the all-seeing [God].