Job 20
English Standard Version
Zophar Speaks: The Wicked Will Suffer
20 Then (A)Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Therefore my (B)thoughts answer me,
because of my haste within me.
3 I hear censure that insults me,
and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.
4 Do you not know this from of old,
(C)since man was placed on earth,
5 (D)that the exulting of the wicked is short,
and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 (E)Though his height mount up to the heavens,
and his head reach to the clouds,
7 he will perish forever like his own (F)dung;
those who have seen him will say, (G)‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like (H)a dream and not be found;
he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 (I)The eye that saw him will see him no more,
nor will his place any more behold him.
10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,
and his hands will (J)give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his (K)youthful vigor,
but it will lie (L)down with him in the dust.
12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth,
though he hides it (M)under his tongue,
13 though he is loath to let it go
and holds it in his mouth,
14 yet his food is turned in his stomach;
it is the venom of (N)cobras within him.
15 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again;
God casts them out of his belly.
16 He will suck the poison of cobras;
(O)the tongue of a viper will kill him.
17 He will not look upon (P)the rivers,
the streams flowing with (Q)honey and (R)curds.
18 He will (S)give back the fruit of his toil
and will not (T)swallow it down;
from the profit of his trading
he will get no enjoyment.
19 For he has crushed and abandoned the poor;
he has seized a house that he did not build.
20 “Because he (U)knew no (V)contentment in his belly,
(W)he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.
21 There was nothing left after he had eaten;
therefore his prosperity will not endure.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress;
the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.
23 To fill his belly to the full,
God[a] will send his burning anger against him
and rain it upon him (X)into his body.
24 (Y)He will flee from an iron weapon;
(Z)a bronze arrow will strike (AA)him through.
25 It (AB)is drawn forth and comes out of his body;
(AC)the glittering point comes out of his (AD)gallbladder;
(AE)terrors come upon him.
26 Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures;
(AF)a fire not fanned will devour him;
what is left in his tent will be consumed.
27 (AG)The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
and the earth will rise up against him.
28 The possessions of his house will be carried away,
dragged off in the day of God's[b] wrath.
29 (AH)This is the wicked man's portion from God,
(AI)the heritage decreed for him by God.”
2 Samuel 20
English Standard Version
The Rebellion of Sheba
20 Now there happened to be there (A)a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said,
(B)“We have no portion in David,
and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;
(C)every man to his tents, O Israel!”
2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took (D)the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.
4 Then the king said to (E)Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. 6 And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take (F)your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.”[a] 7 And there went out after him Joab's men and the (G)Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. 9 And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand (H)to kiss him. 10 But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. (I)So Joab struck him with it (J)in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died.
Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 And one of Joab's young men took his stand by Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” 12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him. 13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to (K)Abel of (L)Beth-maacah,[b] and all (M)the Bichrites[c] assembled and followed him in. 15 And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in (N)Abel of Beth-maacah. (O)They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down. 16 Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’” 17 And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” 18 Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at (P)Abel,’ and so they settled a matter. 19 I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you (Q)swallow up (R)the heritage of the Lord?” 20 Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should (S)swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not true. But a man of (T)the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.” 22 Then the woman went to all the people (U)in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, (V)every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 (W)Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; 24 and (X)Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; 25 and Sheva was secretary; and (Y)Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and (Z)Ira the Jairite was also David's priest.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 20:6 Hebrew and snatch away our eyes
- 2 Samuel 20:14 Compare 20:15; Hebrew and Beth-maacah
- 2 Samuel 20:14 Hebrew Berites
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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