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

ever since mankinda was placed on the earth,

5 that the mirth of the wickedt is brief,

the joy of the godlessu lasts but a moment.v

6 Though the pridew of the godless person reaches to the heavensx

and his head touches the clouds,y

7 he will perish forever,z like his own dung;

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

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

banishedd like a vision of the night.e

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

his place will look on him no more.f

10 His childreng must make amends to the poor;

his own hands must give back his wealth.h

11 The youthful vigori that fills his bonesj

will lie with him in the dust.k

12 “Though evill is sweet in his mouth

and he hides it under his tongue,m

13 though he cannot bear to let it go

and lets it linger in his mouth,n

14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;o

it will become the venom of serpentsp within him.

15 He will spit out the richesq he swallowed;

God will make his stomach vomitr them up.

16 He will suck the poisons of serpents;

the fangs of an adder will kill him.t

17 He will not enjoy the streams,

the riversu flowing with honeyv and cream.w

18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;x

he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.y

19 For he has oppressed the poorz and left them destitute;a

he has seized housesb he did not build.

20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;c

he cannot save himself by his treasure.d

21 Nothing is left for him to devour;

his prosperity will not endure.e

22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;f

the full force of misery will come upon him.g

23 When he has filled his belly,h

God will vent his burning angeri against him

and rain down his blows on him.j

24 Though he fleesk from an iron weapon,

a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.l

25 He pulls it out of his back,

the gleaming point out of his liver.

Terrorsm will come over him;n

26 total darknesso lies in wait for his treasures.

A firep unfanned will consume himq

and devour what is left in his tent.r

27 The heavens will expose his guilt;

the earth will rise up against him.s

28 A flood will carry off his house,t

rushing watersb on the day of God’s wrath.u

29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,

the heritage appointed for them by God.”v