Zophar Says the Rejoicing of the Wicked Is Short
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [a]respond,
Even because of my [b]inward agitation.
3 I listened to (A)the reprimand which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 Do you know this from (B)ancient times,
From the establishment of mankind on earth,
5 That the (C)rejoicing of the wicked is short,
And (D)the joy of the godless momentary?
6 Though his arrogance [c](E)reaches the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He (F)perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him (G)will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He flies away like a (H)dream, and they cannot find him;
Like a vision of the night he is (I)chased away.
9 The (J)eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And (K)his place no longer beholds him.
10 His (L)sons [d]favor the poor,
And his hands (M)give back his wealth.
11 His (N)bones are full of his youthful strength,
But it lies down with him [e]in the dust.
12 “Though (O)evil tastes sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [f]desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it (P)in his [g]mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [h]venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows riches,
But will (Q)vomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.
16 He sucks (R)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at (S)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He (T)returns 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 (U)oppressed and neglected the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no quiet [i]within him,
He does (V)not retain anything he desires.
21 Nothing remains [j]for him to devour,
Therefore (W)his prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his excess he will be cramped;
The (X)hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.
23 When he (Y)fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And (Z)rain it on him [k]while he is eating.
24 He may (AA)flee 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 (AB)his gallbladder;
(AC)Terrors come upon him,
26 Complete (AD)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned (AE)fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The (AF)heavens will reveal his guilt,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The (AG)increase of his house will disappear;
His possessions will flow away (AH)on the day of His anger.
29 This is a wicked person’s (AI)portion from God,
The inheritance decreed to him by God.”
Footnotes
- Job 20:2 Lit return
- Job 20:2 Lit haste within me
- Job 20:6 Lit goes up to
- Job 20:10 Or seek the favor of
- Job 20:11 Lit on
- Job 20:13 Lit spares it
- Job 20:13 Lit palate
- Job 20:14 Lit gall
- Job 20:20 Lit in his belly
- Job 20:21 Or of what he devours
- Job 20:23 Or as his food
Cross references
- Job 20:3 : Job 19:3
- Job 20:4 : Job 8:8
- Job 20:5 : Job 8:12, 13; Ps 37:35, 36
- Job 20:5 : Job 8:13
- Job 20:6 : Is 14:13, 14; Obad 3, 4
- Job 20:7 : Job 4:20; 14:20
- Job 20:7 : Job 7:10; 8:18
- Job 20:8 : Ps 73:20; 90:5
- Job 20:8 : Job 18:18; 27:21-23
- Job 20:9 : Job 7:8; 8:18
- Job 20:9 : Job 7:10
- Job 20:10 : Job 5:4; 27:14
- Job 20:10 : Job 20:18; 27:16, 17
- Job 20:11 : Job 21:23, 24
- Job 20:12 : Job 15:16
- Job 20:13 : Num 11:18-20, 33; Job 20:23
- Job 20:15 : Job 20:10, 20, 21
- Job 20:16 : Deut 32:24, 33
- Job 20:17 : Deut 32:13, 14; Job 29:6
- Job 20:18 : Job 20:10, 15
- Job 20:19 : Job 24:2-4; 35:9
- Job 20:20 : Eccl 5:13-15
- Job 20:21 : Job 15:29
- Job 20:22 : Job 5:5
- Job 20:23 : Job 20:13, 14
- Job 20:23 : Num 11:18-20, 33; Ps 78:30, 31
- Job 20:24 : Is 24:18; Amos 5:19
- Job 20:25 : Job 16:13
- Job 20:25 : Job 18:11, 14
- Job 20:26 : Job 18:18
- Job 20:26 : Job 15:30; Ps 21:9
- Job 20:27 : Deut 31:28; Is 26:21
- Job 20:28 : Deut 28:31
- Job 20:28 : Job 20:15; 21:30
- Job 20:29 : Job 27:13; 31:2, 3