Job, 20

1. Zophar of Naamath spoke next. He said:

1. Then Zophar the Na'amathite answered:

2. My thoughts urge me to reply to this, and hence the impatience that grips me.

2. "Therefore my thoughts answer me, because of my haste within me.

3. I have put up with prating that outrages me and now my mind inspires me with an answer.

3. I hear censure which insults me, and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.

4. Do you not know, that since time began and human beings were set on the earth,

4. Do you not know this from of old, since man was placed upon earth,

5. the triumph of the wicked has always been brief, and the sinner's gladness has never lasted long?

5. that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

6. Towering to the sky he may have been, his head touching the clouds;

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

7. but he vanishes, like a phantom, once for all, while those who used to see him, ask, 'Where is he?'

7. he will perish for ever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, `Where is he?'

8. Like a dream that leaves no trace he takes his flight, like a vision in the night he flies away.

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

9. The eye accustomed to see him sees him no more, his home will never set eyes on him again.

9. The eye which saw him will see him no more, nor will his place any more behold him.

10. His sons will have to reimburse the poor and his children pay back his riches.

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

11. His bones used to be full of youthful vigour: and there it lies, in the dust with him, now!

11. His bones are full of youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust.

12. Evil was sweet to his mouth, he would shelter it under his tongue;

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

13. cultivating it carefully, he would let it linger on his palate.

13. though he is loath to let it go, and holds it in his mouth,

14. Such food goes bad in his belly, working inside him like the poison of a viper.

14. yet his food is turned in his stomach; it is the gall of asps within him.

15. Now he has to vomit up the wealth that he has swallowed, God makes him disgorge it.

15. He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.

16. He used to suck vipers' venom, and the tongue of the adder kills him.

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

17. No more will he know the streams of oil or the torrents of honey and cream.

17. He will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds.

18. When he gives back his winnings, his cheerfulness will fade, and the satisfied air he had when business was thriving.

18. He will give back the fruit of his toil, and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment.

19. Since he once destroyed the huts of the poor, plundering houses instead of building them up,

19. For he has crushed and abandoned the poor, he has seized a house which he did not build.

20. since his avarice could never be satisfied, now all his hoarding will not save him;

20. "Because his greed knew no rest, he will not save anything in which he delights.

21. since nothing could escape his greed, his prosperity will not last.

21. There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure.

22. When he has everything he needs, want will seize him, and misery will light on him with all its force.

22. In the fulness of his sufficiency he will be in straits; all the force of misery will come upon him.

23. On him God looses all his burning wrath, hurling against his flesh a hail of arrows.

23. To fill his belly to the full God will send his fierce anger into him, and rain it upon him as his food.

24. If he escapes the weapons of iron, the bow of bronze will transfix him.

24. He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through.

25. Out of his back sticks an arrow, from his gall a shining point. The terrors advance on him,

25. It is drawn forth and comes out of his body, the glittering point comes out of his gall; terrors come upon him.

26. all the hidden darknesses are waiting to carry him off. A fire unlit by human hand devours him, and consumes what is left in his tent.

26. Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not blown upon will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed.

27. The heavens lay bare his iniquity, and the earth rises up against him.

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

28. The income of his house pours away, like the torrents, on the day of retribution.

28. The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God's wrath.

29. Such is the fate God reserves for the wicked, the inheritance he assigns to the accursed!

29. This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God."