Job 20

1 And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

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

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for [this] I make haste.

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

I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

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

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

5 That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,

That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment?

6 Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike —

Though his excellence shall mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds;

7 As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?'

[Yet] he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they who have seen him shall 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 shall fly away as a dream, and will not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as 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 also [which] saw him shall [see him] no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

10 His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

11 His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

His bones are full [of the sin] of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

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

Though wickedness may be sweet in his mouth, [though] he may hide it 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 may spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

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

[Yet] his food in his bowels is turned, [it is] the gall of asps within him.

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

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

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

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

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

He shall not see the river, the floods, the brooks of honey and buttermilk.

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

That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow [it]: according to [his] substance [shall] the restitution [be], and he shall not rejoice [in it].

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

Because he hath oppressed [and] hath forsaken the poor; [because] he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build.

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

Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

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

There shall none of his food be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon 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.

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

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

He shall flee from the iron weapon, [and] the bow of steel shall strike him through.

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

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yes, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors [are] upon him.

26 All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.

All darkness [shall be] hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

27 Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

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

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

29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.

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