Zophar: Triumph of the Wicked Short-lived
1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
3I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
6Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
11His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
12Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
13Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
14Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
15He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
17He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
18That 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.
19Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;
20Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23When 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.
24He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26All 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.
27The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
2 “Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me.
4 Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,
5 that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
7 yet he shall perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him shall say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found. Yes, he shall be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more see him.
10 His children shall seek the favor of the poor. His hands shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youth, but youth shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 “Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,
13 though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;
14 yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
15 He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck cobra venom. The viper’s tongue shall kill him.
17 He shall not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 That for which he labored he shall restore, and shall not swallow it down. According to the substance that he has gotten, he shall not rejoice.
19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.
20 “Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not save anything of that in which he delights.
21 There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress shall overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery shall come on him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow shall strike him through.
25 He draws it forth, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.
26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity. The earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart. They shall rush away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.”
Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2 “So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer,
because of the turmoil within me.
3 I have heard a rebuke that insults me,
and my understanding prompts a reply.
4 Do you not know that from antiquity,
since man was placed on the earth,
5 the triumph of the wicked has been brief
and the joy of the godless momentary?
6 Though his arrogance reaches the heavens,
and his head touches the clouds,
7 he will perish forever, like his own dung;
those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like a dream, never to be found;
he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
9 The eye that saw him will see him no more,
and his place will no longer behold him.
10 His sons will seek the favor of the poor,
for his own hands must return his wealth.
11 The youthful vigor that fills his bones
will lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though evil is sweet in his mouth
and he conceals it under his tongue,
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
and keeps it in his mouth,
14 yet in his stomach his food sours
into the venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows wealth but vomits it out;
God will force it from his stomach.
16 He will suck the poison of cobras;
the fangs of a viper will kill him.
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it;
he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor;
he has seized houses he did not build.
20 Because his appetite is never satisfied,
he cannot escape with his treasure.
21 Nothing is left for him to consume;
thus his prosperity will not endure.
22 In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed;
the full force of misery will come upon him.
23 When he has filled his stomach,
God will vent His fury upon him,
raining it down on him as he eats.
24 Though he flees from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.
25 It is drawn out of his back,
the gleaming point from his liver. a
Terrors come over him.
26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
A fire unfanned will consume him
and devour what is left in his tent.
27 The heavens will expose his iniquity,
and the earth will rise up against him.
28 The possessions of his house will be removed,
flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.
29 This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
the inheritance God has appointed him.”
Footnotes:
25 a Literally from his gall
Zophar: Triumph of the Wicked Short-lived
1And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --
2Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
3The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:
4This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
5That the singing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
6Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --
7As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where is he?'
8As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
9The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.
10His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.
11His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.
12Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,
13Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,
14His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps is in his heart.
15Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.
16Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.
17He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
18He is giving back what he laboured for, And doth not consume it; As a bulwark is his exchange, and he exults not.
19For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.
20For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.
21There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.
22In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.
23It 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.
24He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.
25One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him are terrors.
26All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.
27Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
28Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
29This is the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.
