The Bible
וַ֭יַּעַן צֹפַ֥ר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
לָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃
“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
מוּסַ֣ר כְּלִמָּתִ֣י אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וְ֝ר֗וּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִ֥י יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃
I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.
I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
הֲזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַ֑ד מִנִּ֤י שִׂ֖ים אָדָ֣ם עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,
Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
כִּ֤י רִנְנַ֣ת רְ֭שָׁעִים מִקָּר֑וֹב וְשִׂמְחַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃
the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
אִם־יַעֲלֶ֣ה לַשָּׁמַ֣יִם שִׂיא֑וֹ וְ֝רֹאשׁ֗וֹ לָעָ֥ב יַגִּֽיעַ׃
Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
כְּֽ֭גֶלֲלוֹ לָנֶ֣צַח יֹאבֵ֑ד רֹ֝אָ֗יו יֹאמְר֥וּ אַיּֽוֹ׃
he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
כַּחֲל֣וֹם יָ֭עוּף וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד כְּחֶזְי֥וֹן לָֽיְלָה׃
He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
עַ֣יִן שְׁ֭זָפַתּוּ וְלֹ֣א תוֹסִ֑יף וְלֹא־ע֝֗וֹד תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃
The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.
The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
בָּ֭נָיו יְרַצּ֣וּ דַלִּ֑ים וְ֝יָדָ֗יו תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה אוֹנֽוֹ׃
His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth.
His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
עַ֭צְמוֹתָיו מָלְא֣וּ (עלומו) [עֲלוּמָ֑יו] וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ עַל־עָפָ֥ר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃
The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
אִם־תַּמְתִּ֣יק בְּפִ֣יו רָעָ֑ה יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֽוֹ׃
Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
יַחְמֹ֣ל עָ֭לֶיהָ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעַזְבֶ֑נָּה וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה בְּת֣וֹךְ חִכּֽוֹ׃
though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,
Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
לַ֭חְמוֹ בְּמֵעָ֣יו נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ מְרוֹרַ֖ת פְּתָנִ֣ים בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃
yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.
Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
חַ֣יִל בָּ֭לַע וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ מִ֝בִּטְנ֗וֹ יוֹרִשֶׁ֥נּוּ אֵֽל׃
He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.
He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִ֥ים יִינָ֑ק תַּֽ֝הַרְגֵ֗הוּ לְשׁ֣וֹן אֶפְעֶֽה׃
He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.
He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.
אַל־יֵ֥רֶא בִפְלַגּ֑וֹת נַהֲרֵ֥י נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י דְּבַ֣שׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃
He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
מֵשִׁ֣יב יָ֭גָע וְלֹ֣א יִבְלָ֑ע כְּחֵ֥יל תְּ֝מוּרָת֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲלֹֽס׃
He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
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.
כִּֽי־רִ֭צַּץ עָזַ֣ב דַּלִּ֑ים בַּ֥יִת גָּ֝זַ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃
For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build.
Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יָדַ֣ע שָׁלֵ֣ו בְּבִטְנ֑וֹ בַּ֝חֲמוּד֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃
Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.
Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
אֵין־שָׂרִ֥יד לְאָכְל֑וֹ עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן לֹא־יָחִ֥יל טוּבֽוֹ׃
Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.
There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקוֹ יֵ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ כָּל־יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃
In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.
In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
יְהִ֤י ׀ לְמַלֵּ֬א בִטְנ֗וֹ יְֽשַׁלַּח־בּ֭וֹ חֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ וְיַמְטֵ֥ר עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ בִּלְחוּמֽוֹ׃
When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.
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.
יִ֭בְרַח מִנֵּ֣שֶׁק בַּרְזֶ֑ל תַּ֝חְלְפֵ֗הוּ קֶ֣שֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.
He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
שָׁלַף֮ וַיֵּצֵ֪א מִגֵּ֫וָ֥ה וּ֭בָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָת֥וֹ יַהֲלֹ֗ךְ עָלָ֥יו אֵמִֽים׃
It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him.
It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ טָמ֪וּן לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו תְּ֭אָכְלֵהוּ אֵ֣שׁ לֹֽא־נֻפָּ֑ח יֵ֖רַע שָׂרִ֣יד בְּאָהֳלֽוֹ׃
Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
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.
יְגַלּ֣וּ שָׁמַ֣יִם עֲוֺנ֑וֹ וְ֝אֶ֗רֶץ מִתְקוֹמָ֘מָ֥ה לֽוֹ׃
The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
יִ֭גֶל יְב֣וּל בֵּית֑וֹ נִ֝גָּר֗וֹת בְּי֣וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃
The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.
The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
זֶ֤ה ׀ חֵֽלֶק־אָדָ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְנַחֲלַ֖ת אִמְר֣וֹ מֵאֵֽל׃
This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.”
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.