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¹ And Zophar the Naamathite answers and says:² "Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, || And because of my sensations in me.³ I hear the discipline of my shame, || And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer:⁴ Have you known this 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 excellence goes up to the heavens, || He strikes his head against a cloud—⁷ He perishes as his own dung forever, || His beholders say, Where [is] he?⁸ He flees as a dream, and they do not find him, || And he is driven away as a vision of the night,⁹ The eye has not seen him, and does not add. And his place does not behold him again.

¹⁰ His sons oppress the poor, || And his hands give back his wealth.¹¹ His bones have been full of his youth, and it lies down with him on the dust.¹² Though he sweetens evil in his mouth, hides it under his tongue,¹³ has pity on it, and does not forsake it, and keeps it back in the midst of his palate,¹⁴ his food is turned in his bowels, the bitterness of cobras [is] in his heart.¹⁵ He has swallowed wealth, and vomits it. God drives it out from his belly.¹⁶ He sucks [the] gall of cobras, the tongue of a viper slays him.¹⁷ He does not look on streams, || Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.¹⁸ He is giving back [what] he labored for, and does not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he does not exult.¹⁹ For he oppressed—he forsook the poor, || He has taken a house away violently, || And he does not build it.²⁰ For he has not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he does not deliver himself.²¹ There is not a remnant to his food, || Therefore his good does not stay.²² In the fullness of his sufficiency he is constricted. Every perverse hand meets him.

²³ It comes to pass, at the filling of his belly, || He sends forth against him || The fierceness of His anger, || Indeed, He rains on him in his eating.²⁴ He flees from an iron weapon, || A bow of bronze passes through him.²⁵ One has drawn, || And it comes out from the body, || And a glittering weapon proceeds from his gall. Terrors [are] on him.²⁶ All darkness is hid for his treasures, || A fire not blown consumes him, || The remnant is broken in his tent.²⁷ The heavens reveal his iniquity, || And earth is raising itself against him.²⁸ The increase of his house is removed, || 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."