1: And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: -- 2: Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me. 3: The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer: 4: This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth? 5: That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment, 6: Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike -- 7: As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?' 8: As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night, 9: The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him. 10: His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth. 11: His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down. 12: Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue, 13: Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate, 14: His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart. 15: Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out. 16: Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper. 17: He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter. 18: He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not. 19: For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it. 20: For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself. 21: There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay. 22: In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him. 23: It 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. 24: He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass. 25: One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors. 26: All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent. 27: Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him. 28: Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger. 29: This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.
