Job 20

Zophar Speaks: The Wicked Will Suffer

1 Then *ch. 2:11Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

2 "Therefore my *ch. 4:13thoughts answer me,

because of my haste within me.

3 I hear censure that insults me,

and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.

4 Do you not know this from of old,

*[Deut. 4:32]since man was placed on earth,

5 *Ps. 37:35,36that the exulting of the wicked is short,

and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

6 *[Isa. 14:13,14;Obad. 3,4]Though his height mount up to the heavens,

and his head reach to the clouds,

7 he will perish forever like his own *Ps. 83:10;Zeph. 1:17;[1 Kgs. 14:10;2 Kgs. 9:37] dung;

those who have seen him will say, *ch. 14:10‘Where is he?’

8 He will fly away like *Ps. 73:20;90:5;Isa. 29:7,8a dream and not be found;

he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

9 *See ch. 7:8,10The eye that saw him will see him no more,

nor will his place any more behold him.

10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,

and his hands will *ver. 18give back his wealth.

11 His bones are full of his *[ch. 13:26;Ps. 25:7] youthful vigor,

but it will lie *ch. 21:26down with him in the dust.

12 "Though evil is sweet in his mouth,

though he hides it *Ps. 10:7under his tongue,

13 though he is loath to let it go

and holds it in his mouth,

14 yet his food is turned in his stomach;

it is the venom of *Deut. 32:33;Ps. 140:3cobras within him.

15 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again;

God casts them out of his belly.

16 He will suck the poison of cobras;

*Isa. 59:5;[Prov. 23:32]the tongue of a viper will kill him.

17 He will not look upon *[Ps. 36:8;Jer. 17:6] the rivers,

the streams flowing with *[Deut. 32:13,14] honey and *[ch. 29:6]curds.

18 He will *ver. 10give back the fruit of his toil

and will not *ver. 15swallow it down;

from the profit of his trading

he will get no enjoyment.

19 For he has crushed and abandoned the poor;

he has seized a house that he did not build.

20 "Because he *Isa. 59:8knew no *Prov. 17:1contentment in his belly,

*[Eccles. 5:13,14]he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

21 There was nothing left after he had eaten;

therefore his prosperity will not endure.

22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress;

the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.

23 To fill his belly to the full,

God*20:23 Hebrew he will send his burning anger against him

and rain it upon him *[Num. 11:33;Ps. 78:30,31]into his body.

24 *[Isa. 24:18;Jer. 48:44;Amos 5:19] He will flee from an iron weapon;

*2 Sam. 22:35a bronze arrow will strike *Judg. 5:26him through.

25 It *Judg. 3:22is drawn forth and comes out of his body;

*Deut. 32:41the glittering point comes out of his *ch. 16:13gallbladder;

*See ch. 18:11terrors come upon him.

26 Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures;

*[ch. 15:34;Ps. 21:9]a fire not fanned will devour him;

what is left in his tent will be consumed.

27 *[ch. 16:18,19]The heavens will reveal his iniquity,

and the earth will rise up against him.

28 The possessions of his house will be carried away,

dragged off in the day of God’s*20:28 Hebrew his wrath.

29 *ch. 27:13;[ch. 18:21;31:2,3]This is the wicked man’s portion from God,

*ch. 27:13;[ch. 18:21;31:2,3]the heritage decreed for him by God."