Job 20

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

Zophar, the man from Naamath, responded with deep emotion, saying,

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

My emotions compel me to respond quickly, driven by my thoughts.

I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

I've felt the sting of criticism, but my inner wisdom guides me to respond.

Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

Aren't you aware, since the dawn of humanity's time on earth?

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

The victory of the wicked is fleeting, and the happiness of the deceitful is momentary.

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

Even if his greatness soars to the skies, and his mind touches the clouds;

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

He will perish forever, like his own dung: those who knew him will ask, Where has he gone?

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

He will vanish like a fleeting dream, impossible to find, pursued away like a nighttime illusion.

The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

The eyes that once saw him will never see him again; his presence will no longer grace his former place.

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

His children will have to beg favors from the poor, and his own hands will give back the wealth he took from them.

His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

The wrongdoings of his youth have seeped into his very bones, and they will follow him to his grave.

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

Even if evil tastes sweet to him, even if he conceals it with his words;

Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

Even if he holds back, never abandoning it, always keeping it close to his lips.

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

His stomach churns with bitterness, like he's swallowed a viper's venom.

He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

He greedily consumed wealth, but he'll soon be forced to give it up; God will make sure it's expelled from his very core.

He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.

He will taste the venom of snakes; the viper's tongue will kill him.

He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

He will never witness the flowing rivers, the surging floods, or the sweet streams of honey and butter.

That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

He must return what he worked for, not keep it for himself. The repayment will match his wealth, and he won't find joy in it.

Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

He cruelly ignored and mistreated the needy; he forcefully stole a home he didn't even build.

Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

Indeed, he will find no peace in his heart, nor will he keep what he yearns for.

There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

No trace of his feast will remain; thus, no one will seek his possessions.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

When he feels most secure, he will find himself in trouble; every hand of the wicked will reach out to harm him.

When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

As he prepares to satisfy his hunger, God will unleash his intense anger upon him, showering him with it even as he eats.

He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

He will run from the metallic weapon, but the steel arrow will pierce him.

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

The sword is pulled, emerging from within him; indeed, the shining blade springs forth from his very core, filling him with dread.

All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

His hidden corners will swallow all shadows; an unkindled fire will devour him. Misfortune will befall those remaining in his dwelling.

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

The sky will expose his wrongdoings, and the earth itself will stand against him.

The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

The wealth of his house will vanish, and his possessions will be swept away on the day of God's wrath.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

This is what a sinful person receives from God, the destiny God has decided for him.