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Zophar Says the Joy of the Wicked Is Short

¹ Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

² "Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me ^(F1)respond,
Even because of my haste within me.

³ "I listened to ^(C1)the discipline which dishonors me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.

⁴ "Do you know this from ^(C1)of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,

⁵ That the ^(C1)shouts of joy of the wicked are short,
And ^(C2)the gladness of the godless momentary?

⁶ "Though his loftiness ^(C1)goes up to the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,

⁷ He ^(C1)perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him ^(C2)will say, 'Where is he?'

⁸ "He flies away like a ^(C1)dream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is ^(C2)chased away.

⁹ "The ^(C1)eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And ^(C2)his place no longer beholds him.

¹⁰ "His ^(C1)sons seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands ^(C2)give back his wealth.

¹¹ "His ^(C1)bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him ^(F1)in the dust.

¹² "Though ^(C1)evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,

¹³ Though he ^(F1)desires it and will not forsake it,
And holds it ^(C1)to his palate,

¹⁴ Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the ^(F1)venom of cobras within him.

¹⁵ "He swallows up wealth,
But will ^(C1)vomit it up;
God will expel it from his belly.

¹⁶ "He sucks ^(C1)the poison of cobras;
The viper's tongue kills him.

¹⁷ "He does not look at ^(C1)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.

¹⁸ "He ^(C1)returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the wealth of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy it.

¹⁹ "For he has ^(C1)crushed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.

²⁰ "Because he knew no ease within his belly,
In his covetousness, he does ^(C1)not let anything escape.

²¹ "Nothing remains ^(F1)for him to devour;
Therefore ^(C1)his prosperity does not endure.

²² "In the fullness of his plenty he will be confined;
The ^(C1)hand of everyone who is troubled will come against him.

²³ "So it will be that he ^(C1)fills his belly,
And God will send His burning anger on him
And will ^(C2)rain it on him ^(F1)while he is eating.

²⁴ "He may ^(C1)flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.

²⁵ "It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from ^(C1)his gall;
^(C2)Bouts of dread come upon him.

²⁶ Complete ^(C1)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures;
A ^(C2)fire unfanned will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.

²⁷ "The ^(C1)heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.

²⁸ "The ^(C1)increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away ^(C2)in the day of His anger.

²⁹ "This is the wicked man's ^(C1)portion from God,
Even the inheritance decreed to him by God."