Zophar’s Second Speech

20  Then[fn] Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

• 2 [fn] my inward excitement.[fn]
• 3  and a spirit beyond my understanding answers me.
• 4 [fn] know this from of old, since the setting of the human being on earth,
• 5 the rejoicing of the wicked is[fn] and the joy of the godless[fn]
• 6  and his head reaches to the clouds,
• 7  those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
• 8  and he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
• 9 The eye that saw him[fn] and his place will no longer behold him.
• 10 the poor, and his hands will return his wealth.
• 11  but[fn] it will lie down with him on[fn] the dust.
• 12  and he hides it under his tongue,
• 13 though he spares it and does not let it go and holds it back in the midst of his palate,
• 14  the venom of horned vipers is[fn]
• 15 [fn] he vomits them[fn] up; God drives them[fn] out from his stomach.
• 16 the poison of horned vipers; the viper’s tongue will kill him.
• 17 [fn] the torrents of honey and curds.
• 18 the products of his toil, he will not swallow;[fn] according to the profit of his trade,[fn]
• 19 the poor; he has seized a house but[fn] did not build it.
• 20 [fn]
• 21 [fn] therefore his prosperity will not endure.
• 22 [fn] all of misery’s power will come upon him.
• 23 [fn] God will send[fn] upon him, and he will let it rain down upon him[fn] as his food.
• 24 but an arrow of bronze will pierce him.
• 25 it forth, and it comes out from his body, and the glittering point comes from his gall-bladder;
• terrors come upon him.
• 26 [fn] is hidden for his treasures;[fn] [fn] will devour him;
• the remnant[fn] [fn] in his tent.
• 27 The heavens will reveal his guilt, and the earth will rise up against him.
• 28 [fn] like gushing waters[fn] on the day of his wrath.
• 29 is a wicked human being’s portion from God and the inheritance of his decree from God.”[fn]