Font Size
Job 20
1599 Geneva Bible
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
New International Version
Job 20
New International Version
Zophar
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite(A) replied:
2 “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
because I am greatly disturbed.(B)
3 I hear a rebuke(C) that dishonors me,
and my understanding inspires me to reply.
4 “Surely you know how it has been from of old,(D)
ever since mankind[a] was placed on the earth,
5 that the mirth of the wicked(E) is brief,
the joy of the godless(F) lasts but a moment.(G)
6 Though the pride(H) of the godless person reaches to the heavens(I)
and his head touches the clouds,(J)
7 he will perish forever,(K) like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’(L)
8 Like a dream(M) he flies away,(N) no more to be found,
banished(O) like a vision of the night.(P)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
his place will look on him no more.(Q)
10 His children(R) must make amends to the poor;
his own hands must give back his wealth.(S)
11 The youthful vigor(T) that fills his bones(U)
will lie with him in the dust.(V)
12 “Though evil(W) is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,(X)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
and lets it linger in his mouth,(Y)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;(Z)
it will become the venom of serpents(AA) within him.
15 He will spit out the riches(AB) he swallowed;
God will make his stomach vomit(AC) them up.
16 He will suck the poison(AD) of serpents;
the fangs of an adder will kill him.(AE)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers(AF) flowing with honey(AG) and cream.(AH)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;(AI)
he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.(AJ)
19 For he has oppressed the poor(AK) and left them destitute;(AL)
he has seized houses(AM) he did not build.
20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(AN)
he cannot save himself by his treasure.(AO)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
his prosperity will not endure.(AP)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(AQ)
the full force of misery will come upon him.(AR)
23 When he has filled his belly,(AS)
God will vent his burning anger(AT) against him
and rain down his blows on him.(AU)
24 Though he flees(AV) from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(AW)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(AX) will come over him;(AY)
26 total darkness(AZ) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(BA) unfanned will consume him(BB)
and devour what is left in his tent.(BC)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
the earth will rise up against him.(BD)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(BE)
rushing waters[b] on the day of God’s wrath.(BF)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
the heritage appointed for them by God.”(BG)
Job 20
English Standard Version
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.”
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.