Job 20
1 Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —
Respondens autem Sophar Naamathites, dixit:
2 Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:
Idcirco cogitationes meæ variæ succedunt sibi, et mens in diversa rapitur.
3 The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.
Doctrinam, qua me arguis, audiam, et spiritus intelligentiæ meæ respondebit mihi.
4 Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —
Hoc scio a principio, ex quo positus est homo super terram:
5 That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
Quod laus impiorum brevis sit, et gaudium hypocritæ ad instar puncti.
6 Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
Si ascenderit usque ad cælum superbia eius, et caput eius nubes tetigerit:
7 Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?
Quasi sterquilinium in fine perdetur: et qui eum viderant, dicent: Ubi est?
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.
Velut somnium avolans non invenietur, transiet sicut visio nocturna.
9 The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:
Oculus, qui eum viderat, non videbit, neque ultra intuebitur eum locus suus.
10 His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.
Filii eius atterentur egestate, et manus illius reddent ei dolorem suum.
11 His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.
Ossa eius implebuntur vitiis adolescentiæ eius, et cum eo in pulvere dormient.
12 Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;
Cum enim dulce fuerit in ore eius malum, abscondet illud sub lingua sua.
13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,
Parcet illi, et non derelinquet illud, et celabit in gutture suo.
14 His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!
Panis eius in utero illius vertetur in fel aspidum intrinsecus.
15 Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
Divitias, quas devoravit, evomet, et de ventre illius extrahet eas Deus.
16 The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
Caput aspidum suget, et occidet eum lingua viperæ.
17 Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.
(Non videat rivulos fluminis, torrentes mellis, et butyri.)
18 In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
Luet quæ fecit omnia, nec tamen consumetur: iuxta multitudinem adinventionum suarum, sic et sustinebit.
19 For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
Quoniam confringens nudavit pauperes: domum rapuit, et non ædificavit eam.
20 Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
Nec est satiatus venter eius: et cum habuerit quæ concupierat, possidere non poterit.
21 Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
Non remansit de cibo eius, et propterea nihil permanebit de bonis eius.
22 When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.
Cum satiatus fuerit, arctabitur, æstuabit, et omnis dolor irruet super eum.
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.
Utinam impleatur venter eius, ut emittat in eum iram furoris sui, et pluat super illum bellum suum.
24 He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
Fugiet arma ferrea, et irruet in arcum æreum:
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:
Eductus, et egrediens de vagina sua, et fulgurans in amaritudine sua: vadent, et venient super eum horribiles.
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:
Omnes tenebræ absconditæ sunt in occultis eius: devorabit eum ignis, qui non succenditur, affligetur relictus in tabernaculo suo.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:
Revelabunt cæli iniquitatem eius, et terra consurget adversus eum.
28 The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.
Apertum erit germen domus illius, detrahetur in die furoris Dei.
29 This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.
Hæc est pars hominis impii a Deo, et hereditas verborum eius a Domino.
