Study Desk

Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

"Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond, Even because of my inward agitation.

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

"I listened to the reprimand which insults me, And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.

I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

"Do you know this from ancient times, From the establishment of mankind on earth,

Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

That the rejoicing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary?

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

"Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

He perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

"He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him; Like a vision of the night he is chased away.

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

"The eye which saw him sees him no longer, And his place no longer beholds him.

The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

"His sons favor the poor, And his hands give back his wealth.

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

"His bones are full of his youthful strength, But it lies down with him in the dust.

His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

"Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue,

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

Though he desires it and will not let it go, But holds it in his mouth,

Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

"He swallows riches, But will vomit them up; God will expel them from his belly.

He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

"He sucks the poison of cobras; The viper's tongue kills him.

He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

"He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.

He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

"He returns the product of his labor And cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them.

That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

"For he has oppressed and neglected the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built.

Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

"Because he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires.

Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

"Nothing remains for him to devour, Therefore his prosperity does not endure.

There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

"In the fullness of his excess he will be cramped; The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

"When he fills his belly, God will send His fierce anger on him And rain it on him while he is eating.

When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

"He may flee from the iron weapon, But the bronze bow will pierce him.

He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

"It is drawn and comes out of his back, Even the flashing point from his gallbladder; Terrors come upon him,

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures, And unfanned fire will devour him; It will consume the survivor in his tent.

All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

"The heavens will reveal his guilt, And the earth will rise up against him.

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

"The increase of his house will disappear; His possessions will flow away on the day of His anger.

The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

"This is a wicked person's portion from God, The inheritance decreed to him by God."

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.