Job 20

Zophar Says the Joy of the Wicked Is Short

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me ^{▼▼Lit return}respond,
Even because of my haste within me.
3 “I listened to the discipline which dishonors me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 “Do you know this from of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
5 That the shouts of joy of the wicked are short,
And the gladness of the godless momentary?
6 “Though his loftiness goes up to the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 “He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is chased away.
9 “The eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And his place no longer beholds him.
10 “His sons seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands give back his wealth.
11 “His bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him ^{▼▼Lit on}in the dust.
12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he ^{▼▼Lit has compassion on}desires it and will not forsake it,
And holds it to his palate,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the ^{▼▼Lit gall}venom of cobras within him.
15 “He swallows up wealth,
But will vomit it up;
God will expel it from his belly.
16 “He sucks the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 “He does not look at the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 “He returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the wealth of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy it.
19 “For he has crushed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no ease within his belly,
In his covetousness, he does not let anything escape.
21 “Nothing remains ^{▼▼Or of what he devours}for him to devour;
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.
22 “In the fullness of his plenty he will be confined;
The hand of everyone who is troubled will come against him.
23 “So it will be that he fills his belly,
And God will send His burning anger on him
And will rain it on him ^{▼▼Or as his food}while he is eating.
24 “He may flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 “It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from his gall;
Bouts of dread come upon him.
26 Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures;
A fire unfanned will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 “The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 “The increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away in the day of His anger.
29 “This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
Even the inheritance decreed to him by God.”