Job 20

1 And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

2 Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.

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

3 I hear a reproof putting me to shame; and [my] spirit answereth me by mine understanding.

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] this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,

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

5 The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man 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 height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,

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

7 Like his own dung doth he perish for ever; they which have seen 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 flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased 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 which saw him shall [see him] not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.

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

10 His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth.

His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.

11 His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it 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 [and] 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 spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his mouth,

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

14 His food is turned in his bowels; it is the gall of asps within him.

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

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

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 viper's tongue shall kill him.

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

17 He shall not see streams, rivers, brooks of honey and butter.

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

18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and not swallow down; its restitution shall be according to the value, 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 For he hath oppressed, hath forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house that 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 craving, he shall save nought of what he most desired.

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

21 Nothing escaped his greediness; therefore 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 sufficiency he shall be in straits; 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 It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will cast his fierce anger upon him, and will rain it upon him into his flesh.

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 have fled from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike 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 it forth; it cometh out of his body, and the glittering point 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 All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown shall devour him; it shall feed upon what 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 increase of his house shall depart, flowing away in the 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 the wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God.

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