Job 20

“Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me ^[b]respond,
Even because of my ^[c]inward agitation.

‘My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
    because I am greatly disturbed.

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

I hear a rebuke that dishonours me,
    and my understanding inspires me to reply.

“Do you know this from of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,

‘Surely you know how it has been from of old,
    ever since mankind^[a] was placed on the earth,

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

that the mirth of the wicked is brief,
    the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.

“Though his loftiness ^[d]reaches the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,

Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens
    and his head touches the clouds,

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

he will perish for ever, like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, “Where is he?”

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

Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found,
    banished like a vision of the night.

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

The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.

“His sons ^[e]favor the poor,
And his hands give back his wealth.

His children must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.

“His bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him ^[f]in the dust.

The youthful vigour that fills his bones
    will lie with him in the dust.

“Though evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,

‘Though evil is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,

Though he ^[g]desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it in his ^[h]mouth,

though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,

Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the ^[i]venom of cobras within him.

yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;
    it will become the venom of serpents within him.

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

He will spit out the riches he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit them up.

“He sucks the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue slays him.

He will suck the poison of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.

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

He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

“He returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.

What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.

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

For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute;
    he has seized houses he did not build.

“Because he knew no quiet ^[j]within him,
He does not retain anything he desires.

‘Surely he will have no respite from his craving;
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.

“Nothing remains ^[k]for him to devour,
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.

Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.

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

In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;
    the full force of misery will come upon him.

“When he fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And will rain it on him ^[l]while he is eating.

When he has filled his belly,
    God will vent his burning anger against him
    and rain down his blows on him.

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

Though he flees from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.

“It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from his gall.
Terrors come upon him,

He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors will come over him;

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

    total darkness lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire unfanned will consume him
    and devour what is left in his tent.

“The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.

The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.

“The increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away in the day of His anger.

A flood will carry off his house,
    rushing waters^[b] on the day of God’s wrath.

“This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
Even the heritage decreed to him by God.”