Job 20

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¹Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

²For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.

³I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.

⁴Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,

⁵That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?

⁶Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;

⁷Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

⁸He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.

⁹The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.

¹⁰His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.

¹¹His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.

¹²Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;

¹³Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

¹⁴His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

¹⁵He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

¹⁶He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.

¹⁷Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.

¹⁸He 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.

¹⁹Because 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;

²⁰There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.

²¹He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

²²Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

²³God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

²⁴He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

²⁵He 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.

²⁶All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.

²⁷The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.

²⁸The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.

²⁹This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.

Job 20

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

²"Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.

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

⁴Do you not know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁶He shall suck cobra venom. The viper's tongue shall kill him.

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

¹⁸That for which he labored he shall restore, and shall not swallow it down. According to the substance that he has gotten, he shall not rejoice.

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

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

²¹There was nothing left that he did not devour, therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

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

²³When 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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