Job 20

Zophar’s Second Speech

1  Then*Hebrew "And" Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

2 "Therefore my disquieting thoughts bring me back

for the sake of*Literally "and in because of" my inward excitement.*Or "my inward haste"

3 I hear discipline that insults me,

and a spirit beyond my understanding answers me.

4 "Did you*Singular know this from of old,

since the setting of the human being on earth,

5 that the rejoicing of the wicked is short,*Literally "from near"

and the joy of the godless lasts only a moment?*Literally "is until a moment"

6 Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven,

and his head reaches to the clouds,

7 he will perish forever like his dung;

those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him,

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

9 The eye that saw him will not see him again,*Literally "and it will not do again"

and his place will no longer behold him.

10 His children will seek favors from the poor,

and his hands will return his wealth.

11 His bones were full of his vigor,

but*Hebrew "and" it will lie down with him on*Or "in" the dust.

12 "Though wickedness tastes sweet in his mouth,

and he hides it under his tongue,

13 though he spares it and does not let it go

and holds it back in the midst of his palate,

14 in his bowels his food is turned,

the venom of horned vipers is within him.*Literally "in his entrails"

15 He swallows riches, but*Hebrew "and" he vomits them*Hebrew "it" up;

God drives them*Hebrew "it" out from his stomach.

16 He will suck the poison of horned vipers;

the viper’s tongue will kill him.

17 He will not enjoy the streams,*Literally "He will not look on streams"

the torrents of honey and curds.

18 Returning the products of his toil, he will not swallow;*Hebrew "and he will not swallow"

according to the profit of his trade, he will not enjoy,*Literally "and he will not taste"

19 for he has oppressed; he has abandoned the poor;

he has seized a house but*Or "and" did not build it.

20 Because he has not known satisfaction in his stomach,

he lets nothing escape that he desires.*Literally "in his desire he does not let be saved"

21 There is nothing left after he has eaten;*Literally "There is not a remnant at his eating"

therefore his prosperity will not endure.

22 In the fullness of his excess he will be in distress;*Literally "it will be in distress for him"

all of misery’s power will come upon him.

23 When his stomach fills up,*Literally "It will be to fill up his stomach" God will send his burning anger*Literally "the blaze of his nose/anger" upon him,

and he will let it rain down upon him*Or "them" as his food.

24 "He will flee from an iron weapon,

but an arrow of bronze will pierce him.

25 He draws it forth, and it comes out from his body,

and the glittering point comes from his gall-bladder;

terrors come upon him.

26 Total darkness*Literally "All darkness" is hidden for his treasures;*Or "His treasures are hidden by total darkness"

an unfanned fire*Literally "a fire not fanned" will devour him;

the remnant*Of his treasures will be consumed*Literally "will be evil," or "will be bad" in his tent.

27 The heavens will reveal his guilt,

and the earth will rise up against him.

28 The products of his house will be carried away*Or "the produce of his house will go away into exile"

like gushing waters*Or "by gushing waters" on the day of his wrath.

29 This is a wicked human being’s portion from God

and the inheritance of his decree from God."*Or "and the inheritance decreed for him by God" (compare ESV, NJPS)