^{1 Ref} Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

^{2 Ref} Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me.

^{3 Ref} I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame; And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.

^{4 Ref} Knowest thou `not' this of old time, Since man was placed upon earth,

^{5 Ref} That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless but for a moment?

^{6 Ref} Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;

^{7 Ref} Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?

^{8 Ref} He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

^{9 Ref} The eye which saw him shall see him no more; Neither shall his place any more behold him.

^{10 Ref} His children shall seek the favor of the poor, And his hands shall give back his wealth.

^{11 Ref} His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust.

^{12 Ref} Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,

^{13 Ref} Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth;

^{14 Ref} Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.

^{15 Ref} He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his belly.

^{16 Ref} He shall suck the poison of asps: The viper's tongue shall slay him.

^{17 Ref} He shall not look upon the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and butter.

^{18 Ref} That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down; According to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.

^{19 Ref} For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; He hath violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

^{20 Ref} Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.

^{21 Ref} There was nothing left that he devoured not; Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

^{22 Ref} In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

^{23 Ref} When he is about to fill his belly, `God' will cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, And will rain it upon him while he is eating.

^{24 Ref} He shall flee from the iron weapon, And the bow of brass shall strike him through.

^{25 Ref} He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall: Terrors are upon him.

^{26 Ref} All darkness is laid up for his treasures: A fire not blown `by man' shall devour him; It shall consume that which is left in his tent.

^{27 Ref} The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him.

^{28 Ref} The increase of his house shall depart; `His goods' shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

^{29 Ref} This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the heritage appointed unto him by God.

^{1 Ref} Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

^{2 Ref} For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.

^{3 Ref} I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.

^{4 Ref} Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,

^{5 Ref} That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?

^{6 Ref} Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;

^{7 Ref} Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

^{8 Ref} He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.

^{9 Ref} The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.

^{10 Ref} His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.

^{11 Ref} His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.

^{12 Ref} Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;

^{13 Ref} Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

^{14 Ref} His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

^{15 Ref} He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

^{16 Ref} He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.

^{17 Ref} Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.

^{18 Ref} He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.

^{19 Ref} Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;

^{20 Ref} There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.

^{21 Ref} He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

^{22 Ref} Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

^{23 Ref} God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

^{24 Ref} He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

^{25 Ref} He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.

^{26 Ref} All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.

^{27 Ref} The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.

^{28 Ref} The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.

^{29 Ref} This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.