Job 20

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: —

2 “Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.

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

3 I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me.

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

4 Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,

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

5 that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?

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

6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,

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

7 yet he will perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

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

8 He will fly away as a dream, and will not be found. Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,

9 The eye which saw him will see him no more, neither will his place see him any more.

The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

10 His children will seek the favor of the poor. His hands will give back his wealth.

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

11 His bones are full of his youth, but youth will lie down with him in the dust.

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

12 “Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,

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

13 though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth,

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

14 yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.

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

15 He has swallowed down riches, and he will vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.

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

16 He will suck cobra venom. The viper’s tongue will kill him.

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

17 He will not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.

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

18 He will restore that for which he labored, and will not swallow it down. He will not rejoice according to the substance that he has gotten.

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

19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he will not build it up.

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

20 “Because he knew no quietness within him, he will not save anything of that in which he delights.

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

21 There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity will not endure.

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

22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress will overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery will come on him.

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

23 When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.

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.

24 He will flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow will strike him through.

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

25 He draws it out, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.

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

26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire will devour him. It will consume that which is left in his tent.

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

27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity. The earth will rise up against him.

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

28 The increase of his house will depart. They will rush away in the day of his wrath.

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

29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.”

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