Job 20

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and saide,

Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

2 Doubtlesse my thoughts cause me to answere, and therefore I make haste.

For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.

3 I haue heard the correction of my reproch: therefore the spirite of mine vnderstanding causeth me to answere.

I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.

4 Knowest thou not this of olde? and since God placed man vpon the earth,

Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,

5 That the reioycing of the wicked is short, and that the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment?

That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?

6 Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen, and his head reache vnto the cloudes,

Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;

7 Yet shall hee perish for euer, like his dung, and they which haue seene him, shall say, Where is hee?

Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

8 He shall flee away as a dreame, and they shall not finde him, and shall passe away as a vision of the night,

He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.

9 So that the eye which had seene him, shall do so no more, and his place shall see him no more.

The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.

10 His children shall flatter the poore, and his hands shall restore his substance.

His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.

11 His bones are full of the sinne of his youth, and it shall lie downe with him in the dust.

His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.

12 When wickednesse was sweete in his mouth, and he hid it vnder his tongue,

Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;

13 And fauoured it, and would not forsake it, but kept it close in his mouth,

Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

14 Then his meat in his bowels was turned: the gall of Aspes was in the middes of him.

His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

15 He hath deuoured substance, and hee shall vomit it: for God shall drawe it out of his bellie.

He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

16 He shall sucke the gall of Aspes, and the vipers tongue shall slay him.

He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.

17 He shall not see the riuers, nor the floods and streames of honie and butter.

Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.

18 He shall restore the labour, and shall deuoure no more: euen according to the substance shalbe his exchange, and he shall enioy it no more.

He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.

19 For he hath vndone many: he hath forsaken the poore, and hath spoyled houses which he builded not.

Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;

20 Surely he shall feele no quietnes in his bodie, neither shall he reserue of that which he desired.

There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.

21 There shall none of his meate bee left: therefore none shall hope for his goods.

He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

22 When he shalbe filled with his abundance, he shalbe in paine, and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him.

Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

23 He shall be about to fill his belly, but God shall sende vpon him his fierce wrath, and shall cause to rayne vpon him, euen vpon his meate.

God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

24 He shall flee from the yron weapons, and the bow of steele shall strike him through.

He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

25 The arrowe is drawen out, and commeth forth of the body, and shineth of his gall, so feare commeth vpon him.

He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.

26 All darkenes shalbe hid in his secret places: the fire that is not blowen, shall deuoure him, and that which remaineth in his tabernacle, shalbe destroyed.

All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.

27 The heauen shall declare his wickednes, and the earth shall rise vp against him.

The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.

28 The increase of his house shall go away: it shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.

29 This is the portion of the wicked man from God, and the heritage that he shall haue of God for his wordes.

This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.