Zophar Says the Joy of the Wicked Is Short
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond,
Even because of my haste within me.
3 I listened to athe discipline which dishonors me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 Do you know this from aof old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
5 That the ashouts of joy of the wicked are short,
And bthe gladness of the godless momentary?
6 Though his loftiness agoes up to the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He aperishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him bwill say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He flies away like a adream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is bchased away.
9 The aeye which saw him sees him no longer,
And bhis place no longer beholds him.
10 His asons seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands bgive back his wealth.
11 His abones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him in the dust.
12 “Though aevil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he desires it and will not forsake it,
And holds it ato his palate,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows up wealth,
But will avomit it up;
God will expel it from his belly.
16 He sucks athe poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at athe streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He areturns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the wealth of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy it.
19 For he has acrushed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no ease within his belly,
In his covetousness, he does anot let anything escape.
21 Nothing remains for him to devour;
Therefore ahis prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his plenty he will be confined;
The ahand of everyone who is troubled will come against him.
23 So it will be that he afills his belly,
And God will send His burning anger on him
And will brain it on him while he is eating.
24 He may aflee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from ahis gall;
bBouts of dread come upon him.
26 Complete adarkness is held in reserve for his treasures;
A bfire unfanned will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The aheavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The aincrease of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away bin the day of His anger.
29 This is the wicked man’s aportion from God,
Even the inheritance decreed to him by God.”