Job 20

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

2 “My thoughts make me answer quickly because of the worry that is in me.

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

3 I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, but a spirit from my understanding answers me.

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

4 Do you not know this fact from ancient times, when God placed man on earth:

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

5 the triumph of a wicked man is short, and the joy of a godless man lasts only 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 reaches up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds,

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

7 yet such a person will perish permanently like his own feces; those who have seen him will 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 will fly away like a dream and will not be found; indeed, he will be chased away like 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 that saw him will see him no more; his place will see him no longer.

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

10 His children will apologize to poor people; his hands will have to 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 are full of youthful strength, but it will 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 Although wickedness is sweet in his mouth, although he hides it under his tongue,

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

13 although he holds it there and does not let it go but keeps it still in his mouth—

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

14 the food in his intestines turns bitter; it becomes the poison of asps inside him.

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

15 He swallows down riches, but he will vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his stomach.

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

16 He will suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue will kill him.

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

17 He will not enjoy the streams, the torrents of honey and butter.

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

18 He will give back the fruit of his labor and will not be able to eat it; he will not enjoy the wealth earned by his commerce.

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 has oppressed and neglected poor people; he has violently taken away houses 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 has known no satisfaction himself, he will not be able to save anything in which he takes pleasure.

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 nothing left that he did not devour; therefore his prosperity will not be permanent.

He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

22 In the abundance of his wealth he will fall into trouble; the hand of everyone who is in poverty will come against 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 When he is about to fill his stomach, God will throw the fierceness of his wrath on him; God will rain it down on him while he is eating.

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

24 Although that man will flee from the iron weapon, a bow of bronze will shoot him.

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

25 He pulls it out of his back and the gleaming point comes out of his liver. Terrors come over 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 Complete darkness is reserved for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; it will consume 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 will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him as a witness.

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

28 The wealth of his house will vanish; his goods will flow away on the day of God's wrath.

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 wicked man's portion from God, the heritage reserved for him by God.”

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