Zophar's Second Speech
Your Words Are Disturbing
1 Zophar from Naamah said:
2 Your words are disturbing;
now I must speak.
3 You have accused
and insulted me,
and reason requires a reply.
4 Since the time of creation,
everyone has known
5 that sinful people are happy
for only a while.
6 Though their pride and power
may reach to the sky,
7 they will disappear like dust,
and those who knew them
will wonder what happened.
8 They will be forgotten
like a dream
9 and vanish from the sight
of family and friends.
10 Their children will have to repay
what the parents took
from the poor.
11 Indeed, the wicked will die
and go to their graves
in the prime of life.
Sinners Love the Taste of Sin
12 Sinners love the taste of sin;
they relish every bite
13 and swallow it slowly.
14 But their food will turn sour
and poison their stomachs.
15 Then God will make them lose
the wealth they gobbled up.
16 They will die from the fangs
of poisonous snakes
17 and never enjoy rivers flowing
with milk and honey.
18 Their hard work will result
in nothing gained,
19 because they cheated the poor
and took their homes.
20 Greedy people want everything
and are never satisfied.
21 But when nothing remains
for them to grab,
they will be nothing.
22 Once they have everything,
distress and despair
will strike them down,
23 and God will make them swallow
his blazing anger.
24 While running from iron spears,
they will be killed
by arrows of bronze,
25 whose shining tips go straight
through their bodies.
They will be trapped by terror,
26 and what they treasure most
will be lost in the dark.
God will send flames
to destroy them in their tents
with all their property.
27 The heavens and the earth
will testify against them,
28 and all their possessions
will be dragged off
when God becomes angry.
29 This is what God has decided
for those who are evil.
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and saide, 2 Doubtlesse my thoughts cause me to answere, and therefore I make haste. 3 I haue heard the correction of my reproch: therefore the spirite of mine vnderstanding causeth me to answere. 4 Knowest thou not this of olde? and since God placed man vpon the earth, 5 That the reioycing of the wicked is short, and that the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment? 6 Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen, and his head reache vnto the cloudes, 7 Yet shall hee perish for euer, like his dung, and they which haue seene him, shall say, Where is hee? 8 He shall flee away as a dreame, and they shall not finde him, and shall passe away as a vision of the night, 9 So that the eye which had seene him, shall do so no more, and his place shall see him no more. 10 His children shall flatter the poore, and his hands shall restore his substance. 11 His bones are full of the sinne of his youth, and it shall lie downe with him in the dust. 12 When wickednesse was sweete in his mouth, and he hid it vnder his tongue, 13 And fauoured 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 Aspes was in the middes of him. 15 He hath deuoured substance, and hee shall vomit it: for God shall drawe it out of his bellie. 16 He shall sucke the gall of Aspes, and the vipers tongue shall slay him. 17 He shall not see the riuers, nor the floods and streames of honie and butter. 18 He shall restore the labour, and shall deuoure no more: euen according to the substance shalbe his exchange, and he shall enioy it no more. 19 For he hath vndone many: he hath forsaken the poore, and hath spoyled houses which he builded not. 20 Surely he shall feele no quietnes in his bodie, neither shall he reserue of that which he desired. 21 There shall none of his meate bee left: therefore none shall hope for his goods. 22 When he shalbe filled with his abundance, he shalbe in paine, and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him. 23 He shall be about to fill his belly, but God shall sende vpon him his fierce wrath, and shall cause to rayne vpon him, euen vpon his meate. 24 He shall flee from the yron weapons, and the bow of steele shall strike him through. 25 The arrowe is drawen out, and commeth forth of the body, and shineth of his gall, so feare commeth vpon him. 26 All darkenes shalbe hid in his secret places: the fire that is not blowen, shall deuoure him, and that which remaineth in his tabernacle, shalbe destroyed. 27 The heauen shall declare his wickednes, and the earth shall rise vp against him. 28 The 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 God, and the heritage that he shall haue of God for his wordes.