¹ And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --

² Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.

³ The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:

⁴ This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

⁵ That the singing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,

⁶ Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike--

⁷ As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: `Where is he?'

⁸ As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,

⁹ The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

¹⁰ His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.

¹¹ His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

¹² Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,

¹³ Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,

¹⁴ His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps is in his heart.

¹⁵ Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.

¹⁶ Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.

¹⁷ He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

¹⁸ He is giving back what he laboured for, And doth not consume it ; As a bulwark is his exchange, and he exults not.

¹⁹ For he oppressed--he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.

²⁰ For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.

²¹ There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.

²² In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

²³ It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.

²⁴ He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

²⁵ One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him are terrors.

²⁶ All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.

²⁷ Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

²⁸ Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.

²⁹ This is the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.