20:1 Then Sophar the Minaean answered and
said,
20:2 I did not suppose that thou wouldest answer thus: neither do ye
understand more than I.
20:3 I will hear my shameful reproach; and the spirit of my understanding
answers me.
20:4 Hast thou [not] known these things of old, from the time that man was
set upon the earth?
20:5 But the mirth of the ungodly is a signal downfall, and the joy of
transgressors is destruction:
20:6 although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the
clouds.
20:7 For when he shall seem to be now established, then he shall utterly
perish: and they that knew him shall say, Where is he?
20:8 Like a dream that has fled away, he shall not be found; and he has fled
like a vision of the night.
20:9 The eye has looked upon him, but shall not [see him] again; and his
place shall no longer perceive him.
20:10 Let [his] inferiors destroy his children, and let his hands kindle the
fire of sorrow.
20:11 His bones have been filled with [vigour of] his youth, and it shall
lie down with him in the dust.
20:12 Though evil be sweet in his mouth, [though] he will hide it under his
tongue;
20:13 though he will not spare it, and will not leave it, but will keep it
in the midst of his throat:
20:14 yet he shall not at all be able to help himself; the gall of an sp is
in his belly.
20:15 [His] wealth unjustly collected shall be vomited up; a messenger [of]
[wrath] shall drag him out of his house.
20:16 And let him suck the poison of serpents, and let the serpent's tongue
slay him.
20:17 Let him not see the milk of the pastures, nor the supplies of honey
and butter.
20:18 He has laboured unprofitably and in vain, [for] wealth of which he
shall not taste: [it is] as a lean thing, unfit for food, which he cannot
swallow.
20:19 For he has broken down the houses of many mighty men: and he has
plundered an habitation, though he built [it] not.
20:20 There is no security to his possessions; he shall not be saved by his
desire.
20:21 There is nothing remaining of his provisions; therefore his goods
shall not flourish.
20:22 But when he shall seem to be just satisfied, he shall be straitened;
and all distress shall come upon him.
20:23 If by any means he would fill his belly, let [God] send upon him the
fury of wrath; let him bring a torrent of pains upon him.
20:24 And he shall by no means escape from the power of the sword; let the
brazen bow wound him.
20:25 And let the arrow pierce through his body; and let the stars be
against his dwelling-place: let terrors come upon him.
20:26 And let all darkness wait for him: a fire that burns not out shall
consume him; and let a stranger plague his house.
20:27 And let the heaven reveal his iniquities, and the earth rise up
against him.
20:28 Let destruction bring his house to an end; let a day of wrath come
upon him.
20:29 This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the
possession of his goods [appointed him] by the all-seeing [God]. |
20:1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite,
and said,
20:2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
20:3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my
understanding causeth me to answer.
20:4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the
hypocrite but for a moment?
20:6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto
the clouds;
20:7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen
him shall say, Where is he?
20:8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be
chased away as a vision of the night.
20:9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his
place any more behold him.
20:10 His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall
restore their goods.
20:11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with
him in the dust.
20:12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his
tongue;
20:13 Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his
mouth:
20:14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within
him.
20:15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God
shall cast them out of his belly.
20:16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
20:17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and
butter.
20:18 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.
20:19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath
violently taken away an house which he builded not;
20:20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of
that which he desired.
20:21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for
his goods.
20:22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand
of the wicked shall come upon him.
20:23 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.
20:24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike
him through.
20:25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword
cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
20:26 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.
20:27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up
against him.
20:28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away
in the day of his wrath.
20:29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage
appointed unto him by God. |