Common English Bible CEB
New King James Version NKJV
1 Zophar from Naamah said:
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Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 Therefore, my troubled thoughts make me turn back— because of my inner turmoil.
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"Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer, Because of the turmoil within me.
3 I hear teaching that insults me, but I am forced to answer based on my own understanding.
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I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me, And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.
4 Do you know this from long ago— from when humans were placed on earth—
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"Do you not know this of old, Since man was placed on earth,
5 that the rejoicing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless, brief?
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That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?
6 Though their height reaches heaven and their heads touch the clouds,
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Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, And his head reaches to the clouds,
7 they will perish forever like their dung; those who saw them will say, "Where are they?"
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Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse; Those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'
8 They will disappear like a dream, and none will find them, carried away like a nighttime vision.
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He will fly away like a dream, and not be found; Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw them will do so no more; they won't be seen again at home.
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The eye that saw him will see him no more, Nor will his place behold him anymore.
10 Their children will repay the poor; their hands will give back their wealth.
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His children will seek the favor of the poor, And his hands will restore his wealth.
11 Vigor filled their bones and now sleeps with them in the dust.
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His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it will lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness is sweet in their mouths, they hide it under their tongues;
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"Though evil is sweet in his mouth, And he hides it under his tongue,
13 they like it, won't let it go; they hold it in their cheeks.
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Though he spares it and does not forsake it, But still keeps it in his mouth,
14 Food turns their stomachs, becoming a cobra's poison inside.
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Yet his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him.
15 They swallow wealth and vomit it; God dislodges it from their belly.
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He swallows down riches And vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.
16 They suck cobra's poison; a viper's tongue kills them.
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He will suck the poison of cobras; The viper's tongue will slay him.
17 They won't experience streams, rivers of honey, and brooks of cream.
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He will not see the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 They won't receive the reward for their labor; they won't enjoy the wealth from their business.
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He will restore that for which he labored, And will not swallow it down; From the proceeds of business He will get no enjoyment.
19 They crushed and abandoned the poor; stole a house they didn't build;
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For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor, He has violently seized a house which he did not build.
20 didn't know contentment in their belly; couldn't escape with their treasure.
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"Because he knows no quietness in his heart, He will not save anything he desires.
21 Nothing remained of their food, so their riches will not endure.
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Nothing is left for him to eat; Therefore his well-being will not last.
22 Even in their plenty, they are hard-pressed; all sorts of trouble come on them.
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In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress; Every hand of misery will come against him.
23 Let God fill their belly, unleash his burning anger on them, rain punishing blows on them.
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When he is about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of His wrath, And will rain it on him while he is eating.
24 If they flee an iron weapon, a bronze bow pierces them.
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He will flee from the iron weapon; A bronze bow will pierce him through.
25 They pull it out, but it sticks out from their backs; its shaft in their liver brings terror.
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It is drawn, and comes out of the body; Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors come upon him;
26 Complete darkness waits for their treasured possessions; fire that no one stoked consumes them; what's left in their tent is ruined.
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Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. An unfanned fire will consume him; It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.
27 Heaven exposes their guilt; earth opposes them.
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The heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him.
28 Their household wealth will be carried off by rushing streams on the day of his anger.
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The increase of his house will depart, And his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath.
29 This is a wicked person's lot from God, their heritage decreed by God.
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This is the portion from God for a wicked man, The heritage appointed to him by God."
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.