איוב 20

1 ויען צפר הנעמתי ויאמר׃

And Zophar the Naamathite answers and says:

2 לכן שעפי ישיבוני ובעבור חושי בי׃

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

3 מוסר כלמתי אשמע ורוח מבינתי יענני׃

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

4 הזאת ידעת מני עד מני שים אדם עלי ארץ׃

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

5 כי רננת רשעים מקרוב ושמחת חנף עדי רגע׃

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

6 אם יעלה לשמים שיאו וראשו לעב יגיע׃

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

7 כגללו לנצח יאבד ראיו יאמרו איו׃

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

8 כחלום יעוף ולא ימצאוהו וידד כחזיון לילה׃

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

9 עין שזפתו ולא תוסיף ולא עוד תשורנו מקומו׃

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

10 בניו ירצו דלים וידיו תשבנה אונו׃

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

11 עצמותיו מלאו עלומו ועמו על עפר תשכב׃

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

12 אם תמתיק בפיו רעה יכחידנה תחת לשונו׃

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

13 יחמל עליה ולא יעזבנה וימנענה בתוך חכו׃

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

14 לחמו במעיו נהפך מרורת פתנים בקרבו׃

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

15 חיל בלע ויקאנו מבטנו יורשנו אל׃

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

16 ראש פתנים יינק תהרגהו לשון אפעה׃

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

17 אל ירא בפלגות נהרי נחלי דבש וחמאה׃

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

18 משיב יגע ולא יבלע כחיל תמורתו ולא יעלס׃

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 כי רצץ עזב דלים בית גזל ולא יבנהו׃

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

20 כי לא ידע שלו בבטנו בחמודו לא ימלט׃

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

21 אין שריד לאכלו על כן לא יחיל טובו׃

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

22 במלאות שפקו יצר לו כל יד עמל תבואנו׃

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

23 יהי למלא בטנו ישלח בו חרון אפו וימטר עלימו בלחומו׃

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 יברח מנשק ברזל תחלפהו קשת נחושה׃

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

25 שלף ויצא מגוה וברק ממררתו יהלך עליו אמים׃

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

26 כל חשך טמון לצפוניו תאכלהו אש לא נפח ירע שריד באהלו׃

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

27 יגלו שמים עונו וארץ מתקוממה לו׃

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

28 יגל יבול ביתו נגרות ביום אפו׃

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

29 זה חלק אדם רשע מאלהים ונחלת אמרו מאל׃

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