איוב 20

1 וַיַּעַן צֹפַר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

2 לָכֵן שְׂעִפַּי יְשִׁיבוּנִי וּבַעֲבוּר חוּשִׁי בִֽי׃

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

3 מוּסַר כְּלִמָּתִי אֶשְׁמָע וְרוּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִי יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃

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

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

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

5 כִּי רִנְנַת רְשָׁעִים מִקָּרוֹב וְשִׂמְחַת חָנֵף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃

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

6 אִם־יַעֲלֶה לַשָּׁמַיִם שִׂיאוֹ וְרֹאשׁוֹ לָעָב יַגִּֽיעַ׃

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

7 כְּֽגֶלֲלוֹ לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵד רֹאָיו יֹאמְרוּ אַיּֽוֹ׃

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

8 כַּחֲלוֹם יָעוּף וְלֹא יִמְצָאוּהוּ וְיֻדַּד כְּחֶזְיוֹן 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 עַיִן שְׁזָפַתּוּ וְלֹא תוֹסִיף וְלֹא־עוֹד תְּשׁוּרֶנּוּ מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃

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

10 בָּנָיו יְרַצּוּ דַלִּים וְיָדָיו תָּשֵׁבְנָה אוֹנֽוֹ׃

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

11 עַצְמוֹתָיו מָלְאוּ עלומו עֲלוּמָיו וְעִמּוֹ עַל־עָפָר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃

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

12 אִם־תַּמְתִּיק בְּפִיו רָעָה יַכְחִידֶנָּה תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֽוֹ׃

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

13 יַחְמֹל עָלֶיהָ וְלֹא יַֽעַזְבֶנָּה וְיִמְנָעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ חִכּֽוֹ׃

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

14 לַחְמוֹ בְּמֵעָיו נֶהְפָּךְ מְרוֹרַת פְּתָנִים בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

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

15 חַיִל בָּלַע וַיְקִאֶנּוּ מִבִּטְנוֹ יוֹרִשֶׁנּוּ אֵֽל׃

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

16 רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִים יִינָק תַּֽהַרְגֵהוּ לְשׁוֹן אֶפְעֶֽה׃

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

17 אַל־יֵרֶא בִפְלַגּוֹת נַהֲרֵי נַחֲלֵי דְּבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃

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

18 מֵשִׁיב יָגָע וְלֹא יִבְלָע כְּחֵיל תְּמוּרָתוֹ וְלֹא 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־רִצַּץ עָזַב דַּלִּים בַּיִת גָּזַל וְלֹא יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃

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

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

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

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

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

22 בִּמְלֹאות שִׂפְקוֹ יֵצֶר לוֹ כָּל־יַד עָמֵל תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃

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

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

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 יִבְרַח מִנֵּשֶׁק בַּרְזֶל תַּחְלְפֵהוּ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

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

25 שָׁלַף וַיֵּצֵא מִגֵּוָה וּבָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָתוֹ יַהֲלֹךְ עָלָיו אֵמִֽים׃

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

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

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

27 יְגַלּוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲוֺנוֹ וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לֽוֹ׃

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

28 יִגֶל יְבוּל בֵּיתוֹ נִגָּרוֹת בְּיוֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃

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

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

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