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“Did you[a] know this from of old,
since the setting of the human being on earth,
that the rejoicing of the wicked is short,[b]
and the joy of the godless lasts only a moment?[c]
Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven,
and his head reaches to the clouds,
he will perish forever like his dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him,
and he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
The eye that saw him will not see him again,[d]
and his place will no longer behold him.
10 His children will seek favors from the poor,
and his hands will return his wealth.
11 His bones were full of his vigor,
but[e] it will lie down with him on[f] the dust.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 20:4 Singular
  2. Job 20:5 Literally “from near”
  3. Job 20:5 Literally “is until a moment”
  4. Job 20:9 Literally “and it will not do again”
  5. Job 20:11 Hebrew “and”
  6. Job 20:11 Or “in”

Do you not know this from of old,
    ever since mortals were placed on earth,(A)
that the exulting of the wicked is short
    and the joy of the godless is but for a moment?(B)
Even though they mount up high as the heavens
    and their head reaches to the clouds,(C)
they will perish forever like their own dung;
    those who have seen them will say, ‘Where are they?’
They will fly away like a dream and not be found;
    they will be chased away like a vision of the night.(D)
The eye that saw them will see them no more,
    nor will their place behold them any longer.(E)
10 Their children will seek the favor of the poor,
    and their hands will give back their wealth.(F)
11 Their bodies, once full of youth,
    will lie down in the dust with them.(G)

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