Job 20

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:

Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

2 For this do my thoughts lead me to reply, And for this is my ardor within me.

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

3 I have heard my shameful rebuke; And the spirit, from my understanding, answereth for me.

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, that from the days of old, From the time when man was placed upon the earth,

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

5 The triumphing of the wicked hath been short, And the joy of the impious but for a moment?

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

6 Though his greatness mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,

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

7 Yet shall he perish for ever, and be mingled with dust; They who saw him shall say, Where is he?

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 like a dream, and shall not be found; Yea, he shall disappear like a vision of the nigh.

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

9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more, And his dwelling-place shall never more behold him.

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

10 His sons shall seek the favor of the poor, And their hands shall give back his wealth.

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 his youth, But they shall lie down with him in the dust.

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

12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,

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

13 Though he cherish it, and will not part with it, And keep it fast in his mouth,

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

14 Yet his meat shall be changed within him, And become to him the poison of asps.

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

15 He hath glutted himself with riches, And he shall throw them up again; Yea, God shall cast them out of his body.

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

16 He shall suck the poison of asps; The tongue of the viper shall destroy him.

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

17 He shall never see the flowing streams, And the rivers of honey and milk.

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

18 The fruits of his toil he shall give back, and shall not enjoy them: It is substance to be restored, and he shall not rejoice therein.

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 Because he hath oppressed and abandoned the poor, And seized upon the house which he did not build;

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 Because he knew no rest in his bosom, He shall not save that in which he delighteth.

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

21 Because nothing escaped his greediness, His prosperity shall not endure.

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

22 In the fulness of his abundance he shall be brought low; Every hand of the wretched shall come upon 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, indeed, have wherewith to fill himself: God shall send upon him the fury of his anger, And rain it down upon him for his food.

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

24 If he fleeth from the iron weapon, The bow of brass shall pierce him through.

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

25 He draweth the arrow, and it cometh forth from his body; Yea, the glittering steel cometh out of his gall. Terrors are upon 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 Calamity of every kind is treasured up for him. A fire not blown shall consume him; It shall consume whatever is left in his tent.

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 heavens shall reveal his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him.

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

28 The substance of his house shall disappear; 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 Such is the portion of the wicked man from God, And the inheritance appointed for him by the Almighty.

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