Job 20:4–11

4 “Surely you know how it has been from of old,

ever since mankind was placed on the earth,

5 that the mirth of the wicked is brief,

the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.

6 Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens

and his head touches the clouds,

7 he will perish forever, like his own dung;

those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found,

banished like a vision of the night.

9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;

his place will look on him no more.

10 His children must make amends to the poor;

his own hands must give back his wealth.

11 The youthful vigor that fills his bones

will lie with him in the dust.

4 Knowest thou not this of old,

Since man was placed upon earth,

5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,

And the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens,

And his head reach unto the clouds;

7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung:

They which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

8 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 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more;

Neither shall his place any more behold him.

10 His children shall seek to please the poor,

And his hands shall restore their goods.

11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth,

Which shall lie down with him in the dust.

4 “Don’t you realize that from the beginning of time,

ever since people were first placed on the earth,

5 the triumph of the wicked has been short lived

and the joy of the godless has been only temporary?

6 Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens

and their heads touch the clouds,

7 yet they will vanish forever,

thrown away like their own dung.

Those who knew them will ask,

‘Where are they?’

8 They will fade like a dream and not be found.

They will vanish like a vision in the night.

9 Those who once saw them will see them no more.

Their families will never see them again.

10 Their children will beg from the poor,

for they must give back their stolen riches.

11 Though they are young,

their bones will lie in the dust.

4 “Do you not know this of old,

Since man was placed on earth,

5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,

And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?

6 Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,

And his head reaches to the clouds,

7 Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse;

Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 He will fly away like a dream, and not be found;

Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

9 The eye that saw him will see him no more,

Nor will his place behold him anymore.

10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,

And his hands will restore his wealth.

11 His bones are full of his youthful vigor,

But it will lie down with him in the dust.

4 “You know how it has been for a long time,

ever since people were first put on the earth.

5 The happiness of evil people is brief,

and the joy of the wicked lasts only a moment.

6 Their pride may be as high as the heavens,

and their heads may touch the clouds,

7 but they will be gone forever, like their own dung.

People who knew them will say, ‘Where are they?’

8 They will fly away like a dream

and not be found again;

they will be chased away like a vision in the night.

9 Those who saw them will not see them again;

the places where they lived will see them no more.

10 Their children will have to pay back the poor,

and they will have to give up their wealth.

11 They had the strength of their youth in their bones,

but it will lie with them in the dust of death.

4 Knowest thou not this of old time,

Since man was placed upon earth,

5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,

And the joy of the godless but for a moment?

6 Though his height mount up to the heavens,

And his head reach unto the clouds;

7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung:

They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?

8 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 The eye which saw him shall see him no more;

Neither shall his place any more behold him.

10 His children shall seek the favor of the poor,

And his hands shall give back his wealth.

11 His bones are full of his youth,

But it shall lie down with him in the dust.

4 Knowest thou not this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth, 5 The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment? 6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, 7 Like his own dung doth he perish for ever; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? 8 He flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased away as a vision of the night. 9 The eye which saw him shall see him not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.

10 His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth. 11 His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

4 “Don’t you know 

that from ancient times, 

from the time humans were placed on earth, 

5 the triumph of the wicked is short-lived, 

and the joy of the godless person lasts only a moment? 

6 If his height reaches to the sky 

and his head touches the clouds, 

7 he will certainly rotlike his own feces. 

Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ 

8 He will fly away like a dream and not be found. 

He will be chased away like a vision in the night. 

9 Eyes that saw him will see him no more. 

His home will not look at him again. 

10 His children will have to ask the poor for help. 

His own hands will have to give back his wealth. 

11 His bones, once full of youthful vigor, 

will lie down with him in the dust. 

4 Don’t you know that ever since antiquity,

from the time man was placed on earth,

5 the joy of the wicked has been brief

and the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment?

6 Though his arrogance reaches heaven,

and his head touches the clouds,

7 he will vanish forever like his own dung.

Those who know him will ask, “Where is he?”

8 He will fly away like a dream and never 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 household will no longer see him.

10 His children will beg from the poor,

for his own hands must give back his wealth.

11 His bones may be full of youthful vigor,

but will lie down with him in the grave.

4 Do you not know this from of old,

ever since mortals were placed on earth,

5 that the exulting of the wicked is short

and the joy of the godless is but for a moment?

6 Even though they mount up high as the heavens

and their head reaches to the clouds,

7 they will perish forever like their own dung;

those who have seen them will say, ‘Where are they?’

8 They will fly away like a dream and not be found;

they will be chased away like a vision of the night.

9 The eye that saw them will see them no more,

nor will their place behold them any longer.

10 Their children will seek the favor of the poor,

and their hands will give back their wealth.

11 Their bodies, once full of youth,

will lie down in the dust with them.

4 “Did you know this from of old,

since the setting of the human being on earth,

5 that the rejoicing of the wicked is short,

and the joy of the godless lasts only a moment?

6 Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven,

and his head reaches to the clouds,

7 he will perish forever like his dung;

those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him,

and he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

9 The eye that saw him will not see him again,

and his place will no longer behold him.

10 His children will seek favors from the poor,

and his hands will return his wealth.

11 His bones were full of his vigor,

but it will lie down with him on the dust.

4 “I’m sure you must know how things have always been.

They’ve been that way

ever since man was placed on this earth.

5 Those who are evil are happy for only a short time.

The joy of ungodly people lasts only for a moment.

6 Their pride might reach all the way up to the heavens.

Their heads might touch the clouds.

7 But they will disappear forever,

like the waste from their own bodies.

Anyone who has seen them will say,

‘Where did they go?’

8 Like a dream they will fly away.

They will never be seen again.

They will be driven away like visions in the night.

9 The eyes that saw them won’t see them anymore.

Even their own families won’t remember them.

10 Their children must pay back what they took from poor people.

Their own hands must give back the wealth they stole.

11 They might feel young and very strong.

But they will soon lie down in the dust of their graves.

4 “Do you know this from of old,

From the establishment of man on earth,

5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,

And the joy of the godless momentary?

6 “Though his loftiness reaches the heavens,

And his head touches the clouds,

7 He perishes forever like his refuse;

Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 “He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him;

Even like a vision of the night he is chased away.

9 “The eye which saw him sees him no longer,

And his place no longer beholds him.

10 “His sons favor the poor,

And his hands give back his wealth.

11 “His bones are full of his youthful vigor,

But it lies down with him in the dust.