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20 Then answered Tzophar the Na’amati, and said,

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and ba’avur (because of [this]) I make haste.

I hear the musar that insults me, and the ruach of my understanding causeth me to answer.

Knowest thou not this of old, since adam was placed upon earth,

That the triumphing of the resha’im is short, and the simchat chanef (joy of the hypocrite) but for a moment?

Though his excellency mount up to Shomayim, and his rosh reach unto the clouds;

Yet he shall perish lanetzach (forever) like his own dung; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

He shall fly away as a chalom, and shall not be found; yea, he shall be chased away as a chezyon lailah.

The ayin also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his makom any more behold him.

10 His banim shall seek the favor of the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

11 His atzmot are full of youthful vigor, which shall lie down with him in the aphar.

12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his leshon;

13 Though he savor it, and forsake it not, but keep it still betoch (within) his mouth;

14 Yet his lechem in his stomach is turned sour; it is the venom of vipers within him.

15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; El shall drive them out of his beten.

16 He shall suck the venom of asps; the viper’s leshon shall slay him.

17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of devash and khemah (butter, curds).

18 That which he labored for shall he give back, and shall not swallow it down; he shall not rejoice according to his chayil temurah (business profit).

19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the destitute; because he hath violently seized a bais which he built not;

20 Surely he knew no quiet in his beten; he shall not save anything which he desired.

21 There shall none of his ochel be left; therefore his posterity will not endure.

22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in distress; kol yad of misery shall come upon him.

23 When he is about to fill his beten, He shall cast the charon af (fury of His wrath) upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

24 He shall flee from the weapon of barzel (iron), and the keshet of bronze shall strike him through.

25 It is drawn, and cometh out of their body; yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; emim (terrors [of death]) are upon them.

26 Kol choshech is reserved for his treasures; an eish not fanned shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his ohel.

27 Shomayim shall reveal his iniquity; and eretz shall rise up against him.

28 The increase of his bais shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in [G-d’s] Yom Af.

29 This is the chelek of an adam rasha from Elohim, and the nachalah decreed unto him by El (G-d).

Zophar

20 Then Zophar the Naamathite(A) replied:

“My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
    because I am greatly disturbed.(B)
I hear a rebuke(C) that dishonors me,
    and my understanding inspires me to reply.

“Surely you know how it has been from of old,(D)
    ever since mankind[a] was placed on the earth,
that the mirth of the wicked(E) is brief,
    the joy of the godless(F) lasts but a moment.(G)
Though the pride(H) of the godless person reaches to the heavens(I)
    and his head touches the clouds,(J)
he will perish forever,(K) like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’(L)
Like a dream(M) he flies away,(N) no more to be found,
    banished(O) like a vision of the night.(P)
The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.(Q)
10 His children(R) must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.(S)
11 The youthful vigor(T) that fills his bones(U)
    will lie with him in the dust.(V)

12 “Though evil(W) is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,(X)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,(Y)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;(Z)
    it will become the venom of serpents(AA) within him.
15 He will spit out the riches(AB) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit(AC) them up.
16 He will suck the poison(AD) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.(AE)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers(AF) flowing with honey(AG) and cream.(AH)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;(AI)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.(AJ)
19 For he has oppressed the poor(AK) and left them destitute;(AL)
    he has seized houses(AM) he did not build.

20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(AN)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.(AO)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.(AP)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(AQ)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.(AR)
23 When he has filled his belly,(AS)
    God will vent his burning anger(AT) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.(AU)
24 Though he flees(AV) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(AW)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(AX) will come over him;(AY)
26     total darkness(AZ) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(BA) unfanned will consume him(BB)
    and devour what is left in his tent.(BC)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.(BD)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(BE)
    rushing waters[b] on the day of God’s wrath.(BF)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”(BG)

Footnotes

  1. Job 20:4 Or Adam
  2. Job 20:28 Or The possessions in his house will be carried off, / washed away