| 1 | And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: -- |
| 2 | Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me. |
| 3 | The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer: |
| 4 | This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth? |
| 5 | That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment, |
| 6 | Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike -- |
| 7 | As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?' |
| 8 | As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night, |
| 9 | The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him. |
| 10 | His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth. |
| 11 | His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down. |
| 12 | Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue, |
| 13 | Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate, |
| 14 | His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart. |
| 15 | Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out. |
| 16 | Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper. |
| 17 | He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter. |
| 18 | He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not. |
| 19 | For he oppressed—he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it. |
| 20 | For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself. |
| 21 | There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay. |
| 22 | In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him. |
| 23 | 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 | He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass. |
| 25 | One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors. |
| 26 | All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent. |
| 27 | Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him. |
| 28 | Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger. |
| 29 | This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God. |