^{1 Ref} Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

^{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 puts me to shame; The spirit of my understanding answers me.

^{4 Ref} Don't you know this from old time, Since man was placed on earth,

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

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

^{7 Ref} Yet he shall perish forever like his own dung, Those who have seen him shall say, 'Where is he?'

^{8 Ref} 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 Ref} The eye which saw him shall see him no more, Neither shall his place any more see him.

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

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

^{12 Ref} "Though wickedness is 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 cobra venom within him.

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

^{16 Ref} He shall suck cobra venom. The viper's tongue shall kill him.

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

^{18 Ref} 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 Ref} For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has 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 anything of that in which he delights.

^{21 Ref} There was nothing left that he didn't devour, Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

^{22 Ref} In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress shall overtake him: The hand of everyone who is in misery shall come on him.

^{23 Ref} 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 Ref} He shall flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow shall strike him through.

^{25 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, The earth shall rise up against him.

^{28 Ref} The increase of his house shall depart; They shall rush away in the day of his wrath.

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

^{1 Ref} And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --

^{2 Ref} Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.

^{3 Ref} The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:

^{4 Ref} This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

^{5 Ref} That the singing of the wicked `is' short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,

^{6 Ref} Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --

^{7 Ref} As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: `Where `is' he?'

^{8 Ref} As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,

^{9 Ref} The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

^{10 Ref} His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.

^{11 Ref} His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

^{12 Ref} Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,

^{13 Ref} Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,

^{14 Ref} His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps `is' in his heart.

^{15 Ref} Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.

^{16 Ref} Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.

^{17 Ref} He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

^{18 Ref} He is giving back `what' he laboured for, And doth not consume `it'; As a bulwark `is' his exchange, and he exults not.

^{19 Ref} For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.

^{20 Ref} For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.

^{21 Ref} There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.

^{22 Ref} In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

^{23 Ref} 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.

^{24 Ref} He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

^{25 Ref} One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him `are' terrors.

^{26 Ref} All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.

^{27 Ref} Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

^{28 Ref} Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.

^{29 Ref} This `is' the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed 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.