| Chapter 20 |
1 | And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --
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2 | Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
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3 | The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:
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4 | This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
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5 | That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
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6 | Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --
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7 | As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: 'Where [is] he?'
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8 | As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
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9 | The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.
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10 | His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.
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11 | His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.
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12 | Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,
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13 | Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,
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14 | His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps [is] in his heart.
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15 | Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.
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16 | Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.
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17 | He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
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18 | He is giving back [what] he laboured for, And doth not consume [it]; As a bulwark [is] his exchange, and he exults not.
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19 | For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.
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20 | For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.
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21 | There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.
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22 | In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.
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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.
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24 | He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.
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25 | One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him [are] terrors.
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26 | All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.
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27 | Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
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28 | Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
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29 | This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.
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