Chapter 20

  And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --  

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  Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.  

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  The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:  

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  This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?  

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  That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,  

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  Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --  

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  As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?'  

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  As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,  

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  The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.  

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  His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.  

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  His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.  

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  Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,  

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  Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,  

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  His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.  

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  Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.  

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  Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.  

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  He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.  

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  He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not.  

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  For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.  

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  For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.  

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  There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.  

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  In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.  

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  It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.  

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  He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.  

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  One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors.  

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  All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.  

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  Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.  

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  Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.  

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  This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.  

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