| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, | 1Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: |
| 2"Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond, Even because of my inward agitation. | 2This is why my unsettling thoughts compel me to answer, because I am upset! |
| 3"I listened to the reproof which insults me, And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer. | 3I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding makes me reply. |
| 4"Do you know this from of old, From the establishment of man on earth, | 4Don't you know that ever since antiquity, from the time man was placed on earth, |
| 5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary? | 5the joy of the wicked has been brief and the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment? |
| 6"Though his loftiness reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds, | 6Though his arrogance reaches heaven, and his head touches the clouds, |
| 7He perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' | 7he will vanish forever like his own dung. Those who know him will ask, "Where is he?" |
| 8"He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him; Even like a vision of the night he is chased away. | 8He will fly away like a dream and never be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. |
| 9"The eye which saw him sees him no longer, And his place no longer beholds him. | 9The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his household will no longer see him. |
| 10"His sons favor the poor, And his hands give back his wealth. | 10His children will beg from the poor, for his own hands must give back his wealth. |
| 11"His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it lies down with him in the dust. | 11His bones may be full of youthful vigor, but will lie down with him in the grave. |
| 12"Though evil is sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue, | 12Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue, |
| 13Though he desires it and will not let it go, But holds it in his mouth, | 13though he cherishes it and will not let it go but keeps it in his mouth, |
| 14Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him. | 14yet the food in his stomach turns into cobras' venom inside him. |
| 15"He swallows riches, But will vomit them up; God will expel them from his belly. | 15He swallows wealth but must vomit it up; God will force it from his stomach. |
| 16"He sucks the poison of cobras; The viper's tongue slays him. | 16He will suck the poison of cobras; a viper's fangs will kill him. |
| 17"He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds. | 17He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. |
| 18"He returns what he has attained And cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them. | 18He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he doesn't enjoy the profits from his trading. |
| 19"For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built. | 19For he oppressed and abandoned the poor; he seized a house he did not build. |
| 20"Because he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires. | 20Because his appetite is never satisfied, he does not let anything he desires escape. |
| 21"Nothing remains for him to devour, Therefore his prosperity does not endure. | 21Nothing is left for him to consume; therefore, his prosperity will not last. |
| 22"In the fullness of his plenty he will be cramped; The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him. | 22At the height of his success distress will come to him; the full weight of misery will crush him. |
| 23"When he fills his belly, God will send His fierce anger on him And will rain it on him while he is eating. | 23When he fills his stomach, God will send His burning anger against him, raining it down on him while he is eating. |
| 24"He may flee from the iron weapon, But the bronze bow will pierce him. | 24If he flees from an iron weapon, an arrow from a bronze bow will pierce him. |
| 25"It is drawn forth and comes out of his back, Even the glittering point from his gall. Terrors come upon him, | 25He pulls it out of his back, the flashing tip out of his liver. Terrors come over him. |
| 26Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures, And unfanned fire will devour him; It will consume the survivor in his tent. | 26Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned by human hands will consume him; it will feed on what is left in his tent. |
| 27"The heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him. | 27The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. |
| 28"The increase of his house will depart; His possessions will flow away in the day of His anger. | 28The possessions in his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God's anger. |
| 29"This is the wicked man's portion from God, Even the heritage decreed to him by God." | 29This is the wicked man's lot from God, the inheritance God ordained for him. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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