Job 20
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Zophar Speaks: Wickedness Receives Just Retribution
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:
2 ‘Pay attention! My thoughts urge me to answer,
because of the agitation within me.
3 I hear censure that insults me,
and a spirit beyond my understanding answers me.
4 Do you not know this from of old,
ever since mortals were placed on earth,
5 that the exulting of the wicked is short,
and the joy of the godless is but for a moment?
6 Even though they mount up high as the heavens,
and their head reaches to the clouds,
7 they will perish for ever like their own dung;
those who have seen them will say, “Where are they?”
8 They will fly away like a dream, and not be found;
they will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw them will see them no more,
nor will their place behold them any longer.
10 Their children will seek the favour of the poor,
and their hands will give back their wealth.
11 Their bodies, once full of youth,
will lie down in the dust with them.
12 ‘Though wickedness is sweet in their mouth,
though they hide it under their tongues,
13 though they are loath to let it go,
and hold it in their mouths,
14 yet their food is turned in their stomachs;
it is the venom of asps within them.
15 They swallow down riches and vomit them up again;
God casts them out of their bellies.
16 They will suck the poison of asps;
the tongue of a viper will kill them.
17 They will not look on the rivers,
the streams flowing with honey and curds.
18 They will give back the fruit of their toil,
and will not swallow it down;
from the profit of their trading
they will get no enjoyment.
19 For they have crushed and abandoned the poor,
they have seized a house that they did not build.
20 ‘They knew no quiet in their bellies;
in their greed they let nothing escape.
21 There was nothing left after they had eaten;
therefore their prosperity will not endure.
22 In full sufficiency they will be in distress;
all the force of misery will come upon them.
23 To fill their belly to the full
God[a] will send his fierce anger into them,
and rain it upon them as their food.[b]
24 They will flee from an iron weapon;
a bronze arrow will strike them through.
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of their body,
and the glittering point comes out of their gall;
terrors come upon them.
26 Utter darkness is laid up for their treasures;
a fire fanned by no one will devour them;
what is left in their tent will be consumed.
27 The heavens will reveal their iniquity,
and the earth will rise up against them.
28 The possessions of their house will be carried away,
dragged off on the day of God’s[c] wrath.
29 This is the portion of the wicked from God,
the heritage decreed for them by God.’
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.”
Job 20
Swedish New Living Bible (Nya Levande Bibeln)
Sofar håller fast vid vad han sagt
20 Sedan yttrade sig Sofar från Naama:
2 Jag måste få säga en sak, för jag har ett svar att ge dig.
3 Du har försökt få mig att skämmas för att jag har kallat dig syndare, men jag tänker inte tiga och tåla det.
4-5 Inser du inte att den ogudaktiges seger alltid är kortlivad och att den gudlöses glädje bara varar ett ögonblick? Så har det varit sedan människan först kom till jorden!
6 Även om den gudlöse stolt sträcker sig mot himlen och vandrar med näsan i vädret,
7 ska han ändå förgås och sluta på samma ställe som sin egen avföring. De som kände honom ska undra vart han tog vägen.
8 Han ska försvinna som en flyktig dröm.
9 Inte heller hans vänner eller familj ska någonsin mer få se honom.
10 Hans barn ska tigga av de fattiga, och deras hårda arbete ska betala hans skulder.
11 Även om han är en ung man, ska han slås till marken.
12 Han njuter av smaken på sin ondska, låter den smälta i munnen
13 och suger sakta på den, så att den inte ska försvinna för snabbt.
14 Men helt plötsligt förvandlas det han njutit av till gift.
15 Han kommer att spy ut den rikedom han slukat, för Gud låter honom inte behålla den.
16 Den är som gift och död för honom.
17 Han kan inte njuta av det goda han samlat på sig.
18 Hans arbete ska inte ge honom någon lön, och rikedomen ska inte ge honom någon glädje.
19 Han har förtryckt de fattiga och roffat åt sig deras hus. Han kommer aldrig att tillfriskna.
20 Han har alltid varit girig, men nu har han ingenting. Av allt det han drömde om finns ingenting kvar.
21 Han slukade allt han kom åt, och därför ska hans framgång inte fortsätta.
22 Han ska råka i svårigheter, när han står på höjden av sin makt. Olycka ska förgöra honom.
23 Just då han håller på att fylla sin mage, ska Gud låta sin vrede regna ner över honom.
24 Han kommer att fly från sitt straff, men en pil ska träffa honom.
25 Dess glänsande spets ska dras ut ur hans galla och dödsskräcken ska då gripa honom.
26 Hans skatter ska gå förlorade i det djupaste mörker. En rasande eld ska förtära hans ägodelar och bränna upp allt han har kvar.
27 Himlen kommer att uppenbara hans synder, och jorden ska vittna mot honom.
28 Hans rikedom ska försvinna under Guds vrede.
29 Detta är vad som väntar den ogudaktige, och vad Gud har berett åt honom.
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