Job 20

1 Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2 Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:

Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.

3 The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.

I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame, and the spirit of my understanding answereth me.

4 Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —

Knowest thou [not] this of old time, since man was placed upon earth,

5 That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

6 Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

7 Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

8 Like a dream, shall he fly away, and they shall not find him, yea he shall be chased away, as a vision of the night.

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

9 The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:

The eye which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

10 His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.

His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands shall give back his wealth.

11 His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.

His bones are full of his youth, but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

12 Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;

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

13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,

Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;

14 His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

15 Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:

He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

16 The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;

He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.

17 Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.

He shall not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.

18 In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!

That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down; according to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.

19 For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.

For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away an house, and he shall not build it up.

20 Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:

Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.

21 Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:

There was nothing left that he devoured not; therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

22 When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: the hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

23 It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will thrust at him the glow of his anger, and rain [it] upon him for his punishment.

When he is about to fill his belly, [God] shall cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

24 He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!

He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of brass shall strike him through.

25 He hath drawn it out, and it hath come forth out of his back, —yea the flashing arrow-head, out of his gall, There shall march on him—terrors:

He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body: yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; terrors are upon him.

26 Every misfortune, is laid up for his treasures, —There shall consume, a fire, not blown up, —it shall destroy what remaineth in his tent:

All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown [by man] shall devour him; it shall consume that which is left in his tent.

27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:

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

28 The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.

The increase of his house shall depart, [his goods] shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

29 This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.