Zophar's Second Speech

1 ZOPHAR THE NAAMATHITE SPEAKS:

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite (a)answered,

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite(A) replied:

1 Then Zophar from Naamath replied:

2 My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer for I am greatly disturbed.

2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me (b)respond,Even because of my (c)inward agitation.

2 This is why my unsettling thoughts compel me to answer,because I am upset!(a)

2 "Therefore my anxious thoughts cause me to answer because I'm agitated within me.

3 I hear a rebuke that dishonors me. Therefore my understanding inspires me to reply.

3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

3 “I listened to (A)the reproof which insults me,And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.

3 I have heard a rebuke that insults me,and my understanding(b) makes me reply.(B)

3 Whenever I hear an insulting rebuke, I respond from my spirit because I understand."

A Wicked Person's Joy Is Short, His Pain Long

4 Do you not know from of old, ever since man was placed on the earth?

4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

4 “Do you know this from (B)of old,From the establishment of man on earth,

4 Don’t you know that ever since antiquity,from the time man was placed on earth,

4 "Haven't you known this from ancient times, since mankind was placed on the earth?

5 The success of the wicked is brief and the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.

5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

5 That the (C)triumphing of the wicked is short,And (D)the joy of the godless momentary?

5 the joy of the wicked has been briefand the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment?(C)

5 The wicked triumph only briefly; the joy of the godless is momentary.

6 Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds,

6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

6 “Though his loftiness (d)(E)reaches the heavens,And his head touches the clouds,

6 Though his arrogance reaches heaven,and his head touches the clouds,(D)

6 Though he grow as tall as the sky, or though his head touches the clouds,

7 he will perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him will say: Where is he?

7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

7 He (F)perishes forever like his refuse;Those who have seen him (G)will say, ‘Where is he?’

7 he will vanish forever like his own dung.Those who know(c) him will ask, “Where is he?”(E)

7 he'll perish forever, like his own excrement; those who saw him will ask, "Where is he?'

8 He flies away like a dream banished like a vision of the night. He cannot be found!

8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

8 “He flies away like a (H)dream, and they cannot find him;Even like a vision of the night he is (I)chased away.

8 He will fly away like a dream and never be found;he will be chased away like a vision in the night.(F)

8 He'll vanish like a dream, and no one will find him; he will be chased away like a night vision."

9 The eye that saw him will not see him again. His place (home) will look on him no more.

9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

9 “The (J)eye which saw him sees him no longer,And (K)his place no longer beholds him.

9 The eye that saw him will see him no more,(G)and his household will no longer see him.(H)

9 "An eye that gazes at him won't do so again; and his place won't even recognize him.

10 His children must make amends to the poor. He must give back his wealth.

10 His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

10 “His (L)sons (e)favor the poor,And his hands (M)give back his wealth.

10 His children will beg from(d) the poor,for his own hands must give back his wealth.

10 His sons will make amends to the poor; their hands will return his wealth.

11 The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust.

11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

11 “His (N)bones are full of his youthful vigor,But it lies down with him (f)in the dust.

11 His bones may be full of youthful vigor,but will lie down with him in the grave.(I)

11 Though his bones were full of youthful vigor; yet they will lie down with him in the dust.

12 Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue,

12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

12 “Though (O)evil is sweet in his mouthAnd he hides it under his tongue,

12 Though evil tastes sweet in his mouthand he conceals it under his tongue,

12 Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth, though he conceals it under his tongue,

13 though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,

13 Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

13 Though he (g)desires it and will not let it go,But holds it (P)in his (h)mouth,

13 though he cherishes it and will not let it gobut keeps it in his mouth,(J)

13 though he savors it and delays swallowing it so he can taste it again and again in his mouth,

14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him.

14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

14 Yet his food in his stomach is changedTo the (i)venom of cobras within him.

14 yet the food in his stomach turnsinto cobras’ venom inside him.

14 his food will turn rancid in his stomach it will become a cobra's poison inside him.

15 He will spit out the riches he swallowed. God will make his stomach vomit them up.

15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

15 “He swallows riches,But will (Q)vomit them up;God will expel them from his belly.

15 He swallows wealth but must vomit it up;God will force it from his stomach.

15 "Though he swallows wealth, he will vomit it; God will dislodge it from his stomach.

16 He will suck the poison of serpents. The fangs of an adder (cobra) will kill him.

16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

16 “He sucks (R)the poison of cobras;The viper’s tongue slays him.

16 He will suck the poison of cobras;a viper’s fangs(e) will kill him.(K)

16 He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will slay him.

17 He will not look upon the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

17 “He does not look at (S)the streams,The rivers flowing with honey and curds.

17 He will not enjoy the streams,the rivers flowing with honey and cream.(L)

17 He won't look at the rivers the torrents of honey and curd.

18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten. He will not enjoy the profit from his trading.

18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

18 “He (T)returns what he has attainedAnd cannot swallow it;As to the riches of his trading,He cannot even enjoy them.

18 He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it;he doesn’t enjoy the profits from his trading.

18 "He will restore what he has attained from his work and won't consume it; he won't enjoy the profits from his business transactions,

19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor and left them destitute. He has violently seized houses he did not build.

19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

19 “For he has (U)oppressed and forsaken the poor;He has seized a house which he has not built.

19 For he oppressed and abandoned the poor;he seized a house he did not build.(M)

19 because he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he didn't build.

20 He will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure.

20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

20 “Because he knew no quiet (j)within him,He does (V)not retain anything he desires.

20 Because his appetite is never satisfied,(f)he does not let anything he desires escape.

20 "Since his appetite won't quit; he won't let anything escape his lust.

21 There is nothing left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure.

21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

21 “Nothing remains (k)for him to devour,Therefore (W)his prosperity does not endure.

21 Nothing is left for him to consume;(N)therefore, his prosperity will not last.

21 Because nothing was left for him to devour, therefore his prosperity won't last.

22 Distress will overtake him in the midst of his plenty. The full force of misery will come upon him.

22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

22 “In the fullness of his plenty he will be cramped;The (X)hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.

22 At the height of his success(g) distress will come to him;(O)the full weight of misery(h) will crush him.

22 Even though he is satiated and self-sufficient, he suffers everyone in any sort of trouble will attack him.

23 With his belly full, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows upon him.

23 When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

23 “When he (Y)fills his belly,God will send His fierce anger on himAnd will (Z)rain it on him (l)while he is eating.

23 When he fills his stomach,God will send His burning anger against him,raining(P) it down on him while he is eating.(i)

23 "It will come about that, when he has filled himself to the full, God will vent his burning anger on him; he will pour it out on him and on his body.

24 Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.

24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

24 “He may (AA)flee from the iron weapon,But the bronze bow will pierce him.

24 If he flees from an iron weapon,an arrow from a bronze bow will pierce him.

24 Though he dodges an iron weapon, a bronze arrow will pierce him.

25 He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors will come over him.

25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

25 “It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,Even the glittering point from (AB)his gall.(AC)Terrors come upon him,

25 He pulls it out of his back,the flashing tip out of his liver.(j)Terrors come over him.(Q)

25 It will impale him and come out through his back; the point will glisten as it protrudes through his gall bladder, and he will be terrified.

26 Total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.

26 All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

26 Complete (AD)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,And unfanned (AE)fire will devour him;It will consume the survivor in his tent.

26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.A fire unfanned by human hands will consume(R) him;it will feed on what is left in his tent.

26 "Total darkness has been reserved for his treasures; a fire that has no need to be kindled will devour him and consume whatever remains in his possession.

27 The heavens will expose his guilt. The earth will rise up against him!

27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

27 “The (AF)heavens will reveal his iniquity,And the earth will rise up against him.

27 The heavens will expose his iniquity,(S)and the earth will rise up against him.(T)

27 Heaven will reveal his iniquity, while the earth will rise up against him.

28 A flood will carry off his house. Rushing waters will wash away his possessions on the day of God's wrath.

28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

28 “The (AG)increase of his house will depart;His possessions will flow away (AH)in the day of His anger.

28 The possessions in his house will be removed,flowing away on the day of God’s anger.

28 A flood will wash away his house; dragging it away when God becomes angry.

29 This is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God.

29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

29 “This is the wicked man’s (AI)portion from God,Even the heritage decreed to him by God.”

29 This is the wicked man’s lot(U) from God,the inheritance God ordained for him.

29 This is what the wicked person inherits from God; it is the inheritance that God appoints for him."

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