Job 20

Zophar Says the Rejoicing of the Wicked Is Short

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,

2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me ▼

▼Lit return

respond,
Even because of my ▼

▼Lit haste within me

inward agitation.
3 “I listened to ^cthe reprimand which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 “Do you know this from ^dancient times,
From the establishment of mankind on earth,
5 That the ^erejoicing of the wicked is short,
And ^fthe joy of the godless momentary?
6 “Though his arrogance ▼

▼Lit goes up to

, ^hreaches the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He ⁱperishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him ^jwill say, ‘Where is he?’
8 “He flies away like a ^kdream, and they cannot find him;
Like a vision of the night he is ^lchased away.
9 “The ^meye which saw him sees him no longer,
And ⁿhis place no longer beholds him.
10 “His ^osons ▼

▼Or seek the favor of

favor the poor,
And his hands ^qgive back his wealth.
11 “His ^rbones are full of his youthful strength,
But it lies down with him ▼

▼Lit on

in the dust.

12 “Though ^tevil tastes sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he ▼

▼Lit spares it

desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it ^vin his ▼

▼Lit palate

mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the ▼

▼Lit gall

venom of cobras within him.
15 “He swallows riches,
But will ^yvomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.
16 “He sucks ^zthe poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 “He does not look at ^aathe streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 “He ^abreturns the product of his labor
And cannot swallow it;
As to the riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.
19 “For he has ^acoppressed and neglected the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.

20 “Because he knew no quiet ▼

▼Lit in his belly

within him,
He does ^aenot retain anything he desires.
21 “Nothing remains ▼

▼Or of what he devours

for him to devour,
Therefore ^aghis prosperity does not endure.
22 “In the fullness of his excess he will be cramped;
The ^ahhand of everyone who suffers will come against him.
23 “When he ^aifills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And ^ajrain it on him ▼

▼Or as his food

while he is eating.
24 “He may ^alflee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 “It is drawn and comes out of his back,
Even the flashing point from ^amhis gallbladder;
^anTerrors come upon him,
26 Complete ^aodarkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned ^apfire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 “The ^aqheavens will reveal his guilt,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 “The ^arincrease of his house will disappear;
His possessions will flow away ^ason the day of His anger.
29 “This is a wicked person’s ^atportion from God,
The inheritance decreed to him by God.”