Job 20

1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

1Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

1Then Sophar the Naamathite answered, and said:

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

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

2Therefore various thoughts succeed one another in me, and my mind is hurried away to different things.

3I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame; And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.

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

3The doctrine with which thou reprovest me, I will hear, and the spirit of my understanding shall answer for me.

4Knowest thou notthis of old time, Since man was placed upon earth,

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

4This I know from the beginning, since man was placed upon the earth,

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

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

5That the praise of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.

6Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;

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

6If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:

7Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?

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

7In the end he shall be destroyed like a dunghill, and they that had seen him, shall say: Where is he?

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

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

8As a dream that fleeth away he shall not be found, he shall pass as a vision of the night:

9The eye which saw him shall see him no more; Neither shall his place any more behold him.

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

9The eyes that had seen him, shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold him.

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

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

10His children shall be oppressed with want, and his hands shall render to him his sorrow.

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

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

11His bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust.

12Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,

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

12For when evil shall be sweet in his mouth, he will hide it under his tongue.

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

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

13He will spare it, and not leave it, and will hide it in his throat.

14Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.

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

14His bread in his belly shall be turned into the gall of asps within him,

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

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

15The riches which he hath swallowed, he shall vomit up, and God shall draw them out of his belly.

16He shall suck the poison of asps: The viper’s tongue shall slay him.

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

16He shall suck the head of asps, and the viper's tongue shall kill him.

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

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

17Let him not see the streams of the river, the brooks of honey and of butter.

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

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.

18He shall be punished for all that he did, and yet shall not be consumed: according to the multitude of his devices so also shall he suffer.

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

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;

19Because he broke in and stripped the poor: he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build.

20Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.

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

20And yet his belly was not filled: and when he hath the things he coveted, he shall not be able to possess them.

21There was nothing left that he devoured not; Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

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

21There was nothing left of his meat, and therefore nothing shall continue of his goods:

22In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

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

22When he shall be filled, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him.

23When he is about to fill his belly, Godwill cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, And will rain it upon him while he is eating.

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

23May his belly be filled, that God may send forth the wrath of his indignation upon him, and rain down his war upon him.

24He shall flee from the iron weapon, And the bow of brass shall strike him through.

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

24He shall flee from weapons of iron, and shall fall upon a bow of brass.

25He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall: Terrors are upon 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.

25The sword is drawn out, and cometh forth from its scabbard, and glittereth in his bitterness: the terrible ones shall go and come upon him.

26All darkness is laid up for his treasures: A fire not blown by man shall devour him; It shall consume that which is left in his tent.

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.

26All darkness is hid in his secret places: a fire that is not kindled shall devour him, he shall be afflicted when left in his tabernacle.

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

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

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

28The increase of his house shall depart; His goodsshall flow away in the day of his wrath.

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

28The offspring of his house shall be exposed, he shall be pulled down in the day of God's wrath.

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

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

29This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance of his doings from the Lord.