Zophar's second speech

Your words are disturbing

1Zophar from Naamah20.1 Naamah: See the note at 2.11. said:

2Your words are disturbing;

now I must speak.

3You have accused

and insulted me,

and reason requires a reply.

4Since the time of creation,

everyone has known

5that sinful people are happy

for only a while.

6Though their pride and power

may reach to the sky,

7they will disappear like dust,

and those who knew them

will wonder what happened.

8They will be forgotten

like a dream

9and vanish from the sight

of family and friends.

10Their children will have to repay

what the parents took

from the poor.

11Indeed, the wicked will die

and go to their graves

in the prime of life.

Sinners love the taste of sin

12Sinners love the taste of sin;

they relish every bite

13and swallow it slowly.

14But their food will turn sour

and poison their stomachs.

15Then God will make them lose

the wealth they gobbled up.

16They will die from the fangs

of poisonous snakes

17and never enjoy rivers flowing

with milk and honey.

18Their hard work will result

in nothing gained,

19because they cheated the poor

and took their homes.

20Greedy people want everything

and are never satisfied.20.20 are never satisfied: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

21But when nothing remains

for them to grab,

they will be nothing.

22Once they have everything,

distress and despair

will strike them down,

23and God will make them swallow

his blazing anger.20.23 anger: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 23.

24While running from iron spears,

they will be killed

by arrows of bronze,

25whose shining tips go straight

through their bodies.

They will be trapped by terror,

26and what they treasure most

will be lost in the dark.

God will send flames

to destroy them in their tents

with all their property.

27The heavens and the earth

will testify against them,

28and all their possessions

will be dragged off

when God becomes angry.

29This is what God has decided

for those who are evil.