וַ֭יַּעַן צֹפַ֥ר הַֽנַּעֲמָתִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ Zophar the Naamathite said in reply:
לָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃ In truth, my thoughts urge me to answer
(It is because of my feelings
מוּסַ֣ר כְּלִמָּתִ֣י אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וְ֝ר֗וּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִ֥י יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ When I hear reproof that insults me);
A spirit out of my understanding makes me reply:
הֲזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַ֑ד מִנִּ֤י שִׂ֖ים אָדָ֣ם עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ Do you not know this, that from time immemorial,
Since man was set on earth,
כִּ֤י רִנְנַ֣ת רְ֭שָׁעִים מִקָּר֑וֹב וְשִׂמְחַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃ The joy of the wicked has been brief,
The happiness of the impious, fleeting?
אִם־יַעֲלֶ֣ה לַשָּׁמַ֣יִם שִׂיא֑וֹ וְ֝רֹאשׁ֗וֹ לָעָ֥ב יַגִּֽיעַ׃ Though he grows as high as the sky,
His head reaching the clouds,
כְּֽ֭גֶלְלוֹ לָנֶ֣צַח יֹאבֵ֑ד רֹ֝אָ֗יו יֹאמְר֥וּ אַיּֽוֹ׃ He perishes forever, like his dung;
Those who saw him will say, “Where is he?”
כַּחֲל֣וֹם יָ֭עוּף וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד כְּחֶזְי֥וֹן לָֽיְלָה׃ He flies away like a dream and cannot be found;
He is banished like a night vision.
עַ֣יִן שְׁ֭זָפַתּוּ וְלֹ֣א תוֹסִ֑יף וְלֹֽא־ע֝֗וֹד תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ Eyes that glimpsed him do so no more;
They cannot see him in his place any longer.
בָּ֭נָיו יְרַצּ֣וּ דַלִּ֑ים וְ֝יָדָ֗יו תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה אוֹנֽוֹ׃ His sons ingratiate themselves with the poor;
His own hands must give back his wealth.
עַ֭צְמוֹתָיו מָלְא֣וּ עֲלוּמָ֑ו וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ עַל־עָפָ֥ר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ His bones, still full of vigor,
Lie down in the dust with him.
אִם־תַּמְתִּ֣יק בְּפִ֣יו רָעָ֑ה יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה תַּ֣חַת לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃ Though evil is sweet to his taste,
And he conceals it under his tongue;
יַחְמֹ֣ל עָ֭לֶיהָ וְלֹ֣א יַעַזְבֶ֑נָּה וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה בְּת֣וֹךְ חִכּֽוֹ׃ Though he saves it, does not let it go,
Holds it inside his mouth,
לַ֭חְמוֹ בְּמֵעָ֣יו נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ מְרוֹרַ֖ת פְּתָנִ֣ים בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ His food in his bowels turns
Into asps’ venom within him.
חַ֣יִל בָּ֭לַע וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ מִ֝בִּטְנ֗וֹ יֹרִשֶׁ֥נּוּ אֵֽל׃ The riches he swallows he vomits;
God empties it out of his stomach.
רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִ֥ים יִינָ֑ק תַּ֝הַרְגֵ֗הוּ לְשׁ֣וֹן אֶפְעֶֽה׃ He sucks the poison of asps;
The tongue of the viper kills him.
אַל־יֵ֥רֶא בִפְלַגּ֑וֹת נַהֲרֵ֥י נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י דְּבַ֣שׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃ Let him not enjoy the streams,
The rivers of honey, the brooks of cream.
מֵשִׁ֣יב יָ֭גָע וְלֹ֣א יִבְלָ֑ע כְּחֵ֥יל תְּ֝מוּרָת֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲלֹֽס׃ He will give back the goods unswallowed;
The value of the riches, undigested.
כִּֽי־רִ֭צַּץ עָזַ֣ב דַּלִּ֑ים בַּ֥יִת גָּ֝זַ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יִבְנֵֽהוּ׃ Because he crushed and tortured the poor,
He will not build up the house he took by force.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יָדַ֣ע שָׁלֵ֣ו בְּבִטְנ֑וֹ בַּ֝חֲמוּד֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃ He will not see his children tranquil;
He will not preserve one of his dear ones.aFor this meaning of bet·en and ḥamud, cf. Hos. 9.16.
אֵין־שָׂרִ֥יד לְאׇכְל֑וֹ עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן לֹא־יָחִ֥יל טוּבֽוֹ׃ With no survivor to enjoy it,
His fortune will not prosper.
בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקוֹ יֵ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ כׇּל־יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבֹאֶֽנּוּ׃ When he has all he wants, trouble will come;
Misfortunes of all kinds will batter him.
יְהִ֤י ׀ לְמַלֵּ֬א בִטְנ֗וֹ יְֽשַׁלַּח־בּ֭וֹ חֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ וְיַמְטֵ֥ר עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ בִּלְחוּמֽוֹ׃ Let that fill his belly;
Let Him loose His burning anger at him,
And rain down His weapons upon him.
יִ֭בְרַח מִנֵּ֣שֶׁק בַּרְזֶ֑ל תַּ֝חְלְפֵ֗הוּ קֶ֣שֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ Fleeing from iron arrows,
He is shot through from a bow of bronze.
שָׁלַף֮ וַיֵּצֵ֢א מִגֵּ֫וָ֥ה וּ֭בָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָת֥וֹ יַהֲלֹ֗ךְ עָלָ֥יו אֵמִֽים׃ Brandished and run through his body,
The blade, through his gall,
Strikes terror into him.
כׇּל־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ טָמ֢וּן לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו תְּ֭אׇכְלֵהוּ אֵ֣שׁ לֹא־נֻפָּ֑ח יֵ֖רַע שָׂרִ֣יד בְּאׇהֳלֽוֹ׃ Utter darkness waits for his treasured ones;
A fire fanned by no man will consume him;
Who survives in his tent will be crushed.
יְגַלּ֣וּ שָׁמַ֣יִם עֲוֺנ֑וֹ וְ֝אֶ֗רֶץ מִתְקוֹמָ֘מָ֥ה לֽוֹ׃ Heaven will expose his iniquity;
Earth will rise up against him.
יִ֭גֶל יְב֣וּל בֵּית֑וֹ נִ֝גָּר֗וֹת בְּי֣וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃ His household will be cast forth by a flood,
Spilled out on the day of His wrath.
זֶ֤ה ׀ חֵלֶק־אָדָ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְנַחֲלַ֖ת אִמְר֣וֹ מֵאֵֽל׃ {פ}
This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
The lot God has ordained for him.