Job 20
1599 Geneva Bible
20 1 Zophar showeth, that the wicked and the covetous shall have a short end, 22 though for a time they flourish.
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Doubtless my thoughts cause me to answer, and therefore I make haste.
3 I have heard [a]the correction of my reproach: therefore the spirit of mine understanding causeth me to answer.
4 Knowest thou not this of old? and since God placed man upon the earth,
5 That the rejoicing of the wicked is short, and that the joy of the hypocrites is but a moment?
6 Though [b]his excellency mount up to the heaven, and his head reach unto the clouds,
7 Yet shall he perish forever like his dung, and they which have seen him, shall say, Where is he?
8 He shall flee away as a dream, and they shall not find him, and shall pass away as a vision of the night.
9 So that the eye which had seen him, shall do so no more, and his place shall see him no more.
10 His children shall [c]flatter the poor, and his hands shall [d]restore his substance.
11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, and [e]it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 When wickedness was [f]sweet in his mouth, and he hid it under his tongue,
13 And favored it, and would not forsake it, but kept it close in his mouth,
14 Then his meat in his bowels was turned: the gall of Asps was in the midst of him.
15 He hath devoured substance, and he shall vomit it: for God shall draw it out of his belly.
16 He shall suck the [g]gall of Asps, and the viper’s tongue shall slay him.
17 He shall not see the [h]rivers, nor the floods and streams of honey and butter.
18 He shall restore the labor, and shall devour no more: even according to the substance shall be his exchange, [i]and he shall enjoy it no more.
19 For he hath undone many: he hath forsaken the poor, and hath spoiled houses which he built not.
20 Surely he shall feel no quietness in his body, neither shall he reserve of that which he desired.
21 There shall none of his [j]meat be left: therefore none shall hope for his goods.
22 When he shall be filled with his abundance, he shall be in pain, and the hand [k]of all the wicked shall assail him.
23 He shall be about to fill his belly, but God shall send upon him his fierce wrath, [l]and shall cause to rain upon him, even upon his meat.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapons, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25 The arrow is drawn out, and cometh forth of the [m]body, and shineth of his gall, so fear cometh upon him.
26 [n]All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: the fire that is not [o]blown shall devour him, and that which remaineth in his tabernacle shall be destroyed.
27 The heaven shall declare his wickedness, and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The [p]increase of his house shall go away: it shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of the wicked man from [q]God, and the heritage that he shall have of God, for his [r]words.
Footnotes
- Job 20:3 He declareth that two things moved him to speak: to wit, because Job seemed to touch him, and because he thought he had knowledge sufficient to confute him.
- Job 20:6 His purpose is to prove Job to be a wicked man, and an hypocrite, because God punished him, and changed his prosperity into adversity.
- Job 20:10 Whereas the father through ambition and tyranny oppressed the poor, the children through poverty and misery, shall seek favor at the poor.
- Job 20:10 So that the thing which he hath taken away by violence shall be restored again by force.
- Job 20:11 Meaning, that he shall carry nothing away with him but his sin.
- Job 20:12 As poison that is sweet in the mouth, bringeth destruction when it cometh into the body: so all vice at the first is pleasant, but afterward God turneth it to destruction.
- Job 20:16 He compareth evil gotten goods to the venom of Asps, which serpent is most dangerous: noting that Job’s great riches were not truly come by and therefore God did plague him justly for the same.
- Job 20:17 Though God give to all other abundance of his blessings, yet he shall have no part thereof.
- Job 20:18 That is, these raveners and spoilers of the poor shall enjoy their theft but for a time: for after, God will take it from them, and cause them to make restitution, so that it is but an exchange.
- Job 20:21 He shall leave nothing to his posterity.
- Job 20:22 The wicked shall never be in rest: for one wicked man shall seek to destroy another.
- Job 20:23 Some read, upon his flesh, alluding to Job, whose flesh was smitten with a scab.
- Job 20:25 Some read, of the quiver.
- Job 20:26 All fear and sorrow shall light upon him, when he thinketh to escape.
- Job 20:26 That is, fire from heaven, or the fire of God’s wrath.
- Job 20:28 Meaning, the children of the wicked shall flow away like rivers, and be dispersed in divers places.
- Job 20:29 Thus God will plague the wicked.
- Job 20:29 Against God, thinking to excuse himself, and to escape God’s hand.
Job 20
Legacy Standard Bible
Zophar Says the Joy of the Wicked Is Short
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [a]respond,
Even because of my haste within me.
3 I listened to (A)the discipline which dishonors me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 Do you know this from (B)of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
5 That the (C)shouts of joy of the wicked are short,
And (D)the gladness of the godless momentary?
6 Though his loftiness (E)goes up to the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He (F)perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him (G)will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He flies away like a (H)dream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is (I)chased away.
9 The (J)eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And (K)his place no longer beholds him.
10 His (L)sons seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands (M)give back his wealth.
11 His (N)bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him [b]in the dust.
12 “Though (O)evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [c]desires it and will not forsake it,
And holds it (P)to his palate,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [d]venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows up wealth,
But will (Q)vomit it up;
God will expel it from his belly.
16 He sucks (R)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at (S)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He (T)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 (U)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 (V)not let anything escape.
21 Nothing remains [e]for him to devour;
Therefore (W)his prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his plenty he will be confined;
The (X)hand of everyone who is troubled will come against him.
23 So it will be that he (Y)fills his belly,
And God will send His burning anger on him
And will (Z)rain it on him [f]while he is eating.
24 He may (AA)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 (AB)his gall;
(AC)Bouts of dread come upon him.
26 Complete (AD)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures;
A (AE)fire unfanned will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The (AF)heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The (AG)increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away (AH)in the day of His anger.
29 This is the wicked man’s (AI)portion from God,
Even the inheritance decreed to him by God.”
Job 20
New King James Version
Zophar’s Sermon on the Wicked Man
20 Then (A)Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,
Because of the turmoil within me.
3 I have heard the rebuke [a]that reproaches me,
And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.
4 “Do you not know this of (B)old,
Since man was placed on earth,
5 (C)That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a (D)moment?
6 (E)Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,
And his head reaches to the clouds,
7 Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away (F)like a dream, and not be found;
Yes, he (G)will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw him will see him no more,
Nor will his place behold him anymore.
10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands will restore his wealth.
11 His bones are full of (H)his youthful vigor,
(I)But it will lie down with him in the dust.
12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth,
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he spares it and does not forsake it,
But still keeps it in his [b]mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach turns sour;
It becomes cobra venom 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;
The viper’s tongue will slay him.
17 He will not see (J)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 He will restore that for which he labored,
And will not swallow it down;
From the proceeds of business
He will get no enjoyment.
19 For he has [c]oppressed and forsaken the poor,
He has violently seized a house which he did not build.
20 “Because(K) he knows no quietness in his [d]heart,
He will not save anything he desires.
21 Nothing is left for him to eat;
Therefore his well-being will not last.
22 In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress;
Every hand of [e]misery will come against him.
23 When he is about to fill his stomach,
God will cast on him the fury of His wrath,
And will rain it on him while he is eating.
24 (L)He will flee from the iron weapon;
A bronze bow will pierce him through.
25 It is drawn, and comes out of the body;
Yes, (M)the glittering point comes out of his [f]gall.
(N)Terrors come upon him;
26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
(O)An unfanned fire will consume him;
It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.
27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house will depart,
And his goods will flow away in the day of His (P)wrath.
29 (Q)This is the portion from God for a wicked man,
The heritage appointed to him by God.”
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
