Job 20–21

¹And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith:— ²Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me. ³The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer: ⁴This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth? ⁵That the singing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the profane for a moment, ⁶Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike— ⁷As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: ‘Where is he?’ ⁸As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night, ⁹The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

¹⁰His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth. ¹¹His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down. ¹²Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue, ¹³Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate, ¹⁴His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps is in his heart. ¹⁵Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out. ¹⁶Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper. ¹⁷He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter. ¹⁸He is giving back what he laboured for, And doth not consume it; As a bulwark is his exchange, and he exults not. ¹⁹For he oppressed—he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it. ²⁰For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself. ²¹There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay. ²²In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

²³It 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. ²⁴He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass. ²⁵One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him are terrors. ²⁶All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent. ²⁷Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him. ²⁸Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger. ²⁹This is the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.

Chapter 21

¹And Job answereth and saith:— ²Hear ye diligently my word, And this is your consolation. ³Bear with me, and I speak, And after my speaking—ye may deride. ⁴I—to man is my complaint? and if so, wherefore May not my temper become short? ⁵Turn unto me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth. ⁶Yea, if I have remembered, then I have been troubled. And my flesh hath taken fright.

⁷Wherefore do the wicked live? They have become old, Yea, they have been mighty in wealth. ⁸Their seed is established, Before their face with them, And their offspring before their eyes. ⁹Their houses are peace without fear, Nor is a rod of God upon them. ¹⁰His bullock hath eaten corn, and doth not loath. His cow bringeth forth safely, And doth not miscarry. ¹¹They send forth as a flock their sucklings, And their children skip, ¹²They lift themselves up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of an organ. ¹³They wear out in good their days, And in a moment to Sheol go down. ¹⁴And they say to God, ‘Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Thy ways We have not desired. ¹⁵What is the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?’ ¹⁶Lo, not in their hand is their good, (The counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)

¹⁷How oft is the lamp of the wicked extinguished, And come on them doth their calamity? Pangs He apportioneth in His anger. ¹⁸They are as straw before wind, And as chaff a hurricane hath stolen away, ¹⁹God layeth up for his sons his sorrow, He giveth recompense unto him—and he knoweth. ²⁰His own eyes see his destruction, And of the wrath of the Mighty he drinketh. ²¹For what is his delight in his house after him, And the number of his months cut off? ²²To God doth one teach knowledge, And He the high doth judge? ²³This one dieth in his perfect strength, Wholly at ease and quiet. ²⁴His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow his bones doth moisten. ²⁵And this one dieth with a bitter soul, And have not eaten with gladness. ²⁶Together—on the dust they lie down, And the worm doth cover them over.

²⁷Lo, I have known your thoughts, And the devices against me ye do wrongfully. ²⁸For ye say, ‘Where is the house of the noble? And where the tent—The tabernacles of the wicked?’ ²⁹Have ye not asked those passing by the way? And their signs do ye not know? ³⁰That to a day of calamity is the wicked spared. To a day of wrath they are brought. ³¹Who doth declare to his face his way? And for that which he hath done, Who doth give recompence to him? ³²And he—to the graves he is brought. And over the heap a watch is kept. ³³Sweet to him have been the clods of the valley, And after him every man he draweth, And before him there is no numbering. ³⁴And how do ye comfort me with vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass?

Chapter 22