1 Da tok Sofar fra Na'ama til orde og sa:
2 Derfor legger mine tanker mig svaret i munnen, og derfor stormer det i mig;
3 hånende tilrettevisning må jeg høre, og min ånd gir mig svar ut fra min innsikt.
4 Vet du da ikke at slik har det vært fra evighet, fra den tid mennesker blev satt på jorden,
5 at de ugudeliges jubel er kort, og den gudløses glede bare varer et øieblikk?
6 Stiger enn hans stolthet til himmelen, og når enn hans hode til skyen,
7 så går han dog likesom sitt skarn til grunne for evig; de som så ham, spør: Hvor er han?
8 Som en drøm flyr han bort, og ingen finner ham mere; han jages bort som et nattesyn.
9 Det øie som så ham, ser ham ikke mere, og hans sted skuer ham ikke lenger.
10 Hans barn må søke småfolks yndest, og hans hender må gi hans gods tilbake.
11 Hans ben var fulle av ungdomskraft, men nu ligger den med ham i støvet.
12 Smaker enn det onde søtt i hans munn, skjuler han det under sin tunge,
13 sparer han på det og slipper det ikke, men holder det tilbake under sin gane,
14 så blir dog hans mat omskapt i hans innvoller og blir til ormegift i hans liv.
15 Han slukte gods, og han må spy det ut igjen; Gud driver det ut av hans buk.
16 Ormegift må han innsuge; huggormens tunge dreper ham.
17 Han skal ikke få se bekker, elver av honning og elver av melk.
18 Han må gi tilbake det han har tjent, og får ikke nyte det; meget gods har han vunnet, men han får liten glede av det.
19 For han knuste småfolk og lot dem ligge der; han rante hus til sig, men får ikke bygge dem om;
20 han kjente aldri ro i sitt indre; han skal ikke slippe unda med sine skatter.
21 Det var intet som undgikk hans grådighet; derfor varer ikke hans lykke.
22 Midt i hans rikdom blir det trangt for ham; hver nødlidende vender sin hånd mot ham.
23 For å fylle hans buk sender Gud sin brennende vrede mot ham og lar sin mat regne på ham.
24 Flykter han for våben av jern, så gjennemborer en bue av kobber ham.
25 Når han så drar pilen ut av sin rygg, og den lynende odd kommer frem av hans galle, da faller dødsredsler over ham.
26 Alt mørke er opspart for hans vel gjemte skatter; en ild som intet menneske puster til, fortærer ham; den eter det som er igjen i hans telt.
27 Himmelen åpenbarer hans misgjerning, og jorden reiser sig mot ham.
28 Det han har samlet i sitt hus, føres bort, det skylles bort på Guds vredes dag.
29 Dette er den lodd som et ugudelig menneske får av Gud, den arv som er tilkjent ham av den Allmektige.
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me,
Even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame;
And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.
4 Knowest thou not this of old time,
Since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens,
And his head reach unto the clouds;
7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung:
They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found:
Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more;
Neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 His children shall seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youth,
But it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth,
Though he hide it under his tongue,
13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go,
But keep it still within his mouth;
14 Yet his food in his bowels is turned,
It is the gall of asps within him.
15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again;
God will cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck the poison of asps:
The viper’s tongue shall slay him.
17 He shall not look upon the rivers,
The flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 That 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.
19 For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He hath violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.
20 Because he knew no quietness within him,
He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.
21 There was nothing left that he devoured not;
Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits:
The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him,
And will rain it upon him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon,
And the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body;
Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall:
Terrors are upon him.
26 All 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.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity,
And the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart;
His goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the heritage appointed unto him by God.