Study Desk

"I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

What wise people have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,

Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

To whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them.

Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

"The wicked person writhes in pain all his days, And the years reserved for the ruthless are numbered.

The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

"Sounds of terror are in his ears; While he is at peace the destroyer comes upon him.

A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

"He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword.

He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

"He wanders about for food, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

"Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

Because he has reached out with his hand against God, And is arrogant toward the Almighty.

For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

"He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.

He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

"For he has covered his face with his fat, And put fat on his waist.

Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

"He has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins.

And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.

"He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his property will not stretch out on the earth.

He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

"He will not escape from darkness; The flame will dry up his shoot, And he will go away by the breath of His mouth.

He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

"Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For his reward will be emptiness.

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

"It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.

It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

"He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.

He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

"For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.

For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

"They conceive harm and give birth to wrongdoing, And their mind prepares deception."

They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.