20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(A)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.(B)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.(C)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(D)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.(E)
23 When he has filled his belly,(F)
    God will vent his burning anger(G) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.(H)
24 Though he flees(I) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(J)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(K) will come over him;(L)
26     total darkness(M) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(N) unfanned will consume him(O)
    and devour what is left in his tent.(P)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.(Q)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(R)
    rushing waters[a] on the day of God’s wrath.(S)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 20:28 Or The possessions in his house will be carried off, / washed away

20 Because his appetite is never satisfied,[a]
he does not let anything he desires escape.
21 Nothing is left for him to consume;(A)
therefore, his prosperity will not last.
22 At the height of his success[b] distress will come to him;(B)
the full weight of misery[c] will crush him.
23 When he fills his stomach,
God will send his burning anger against him,
raining(C) it down on him while he is eating.[d]
24 If he flees from an iron weapon,
an arrow from a bronze bow will pierce him.
25 He pulls it out of his back,
the flashing tip out of his liver.[e]
Terrors come over him.(D)
26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
A fire unfanned by human hands will consume(E) him;
it will feed on what is left in his tent.
27 The heavens will expose his iniquity,(F)
and the earth will rise up against him.(G)
28 The possessions in his house will be removed,
flowing away on the day of God’s anger.
29 This is the wicked person’s lot(H) from God,
the inheritance God ordained for him.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:20 Lit Because he does not know ease in his stomach
  2. 20:22 Lit In the fullness of his excess
  3. 20:22 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read the hand of everyone in misery
  4. 20:23 Text emended; MT reads him, against his flesh
  5. 20:25 Or gallbladder