Job 20

Revised Geneva Translation

20 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

² “Doubtless my divided thoughts cause me to answer, and therefore I hurry.

³ “I have heard the correction of my reproach. Therefore, the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

⁴ “Do you not know this from old, since God placed man upon the Earth,

⁵ “that the rejoicing of the wicked is short, and that the joy of the hypocrites is but a moment?

⁶ “Though his pride mounts up to the heaven, and his head reaches to the clouds,

⁷ “yet shall he perish forever like his dung. Those who have seen him shall say, ‘Where is he?’

⁸ “He shall flee away as a dream and they shall not find him, and shall pass away as a vision of the night,

⁹ “so that the eye which had seen him shall do so no more and his place shall see him no more.

¹⁰ “His children shall flatter the poor, and his hands shall restore his substance.

¹¹ “His bones are full of his youth, but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

¹² “When wickedness was sweet in his mouth, he hid it under his tongue,

¹³ “favored it, and would not forsake it, but kept it close in his mouth.

¹⁴ “His food in his bowels was turned, the gall of asps in the midst of him.

¹⁵ “He has devoured substance and he shall vomit it. God shall draw it out of his belly.

¹⁶ “He shall suck the gall of asps. The viper’s tongue shall slay him.

¹⁷ “He shall not see the rivers, the floods, streams of honey and butter.

¹⁸ “He shall restore the labor and shall devour no more. His exchange shall be according to the substance, and he shall enjoy it no more.

¹⁹ “For he has undone many. He has forsaken the poor, has spoiled houses which he did not build.

²⁰ “Surely, he shall feel no quietness in his body, nor shall he reserve any of that which he desired.

²¹ “None of his food shall be left, nor hope for his well-being.

²² “When he shall be filled with his abundance, he shall be in pain. The hand of all the wicked shall assail him.

²³ “He shall be about to fill his belly, but God shall send His fierce wrath upon him, and shall cause it to rain upon him, even upon his food.

²⁴ “He shall flee from the iron weapons. The bow of steel shall strike him through,

²⁵ “be drawn out and come forth from the body, and shine from his gall. Fear will come upon him.

²⁶ “All darkness shall be hidden in his secret places. The fire that is not blown shall devour him. That which remains in his tabernacle shall be destroyed.

²⁷ “The heaven shall declare his wickedness and the Earth shall rise up against him.

²⁸ “The increase of his house shall vanish. It shall flow away on the day of His wrath.

²⁹ “This is the portion from God for the wicked man, and the heritage commanded by God.”