Job 20

1 And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —

Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

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

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

3 The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:

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

4 This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

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

5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane 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 excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike —

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

7 As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders 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 As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven 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 The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

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

10 His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands 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 have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

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

12 Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,

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

13 Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,

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

14 His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.

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

15 Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.

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

16 Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.

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

17 He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

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

18 He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not.

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 oppressed — he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.

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 For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.

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

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

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 sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet 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 It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.

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

24 He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

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

25 One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors.

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 darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant 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 Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

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

28 Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.

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 a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.

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