New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:
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Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
2 "Pay attention! My thoughts urge me to answer, because of the agitation within me.
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For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
3 I hear censure that insults me, and a spirit beyond my understanding answers me.
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I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.
4 Do you not know this from of old, ever since mortals were placed on earth,
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Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,
5 that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless is but for a moment?
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That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?
6 Even though they mount up high as the heavens, and their head reaches to the clouds,
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Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
7 they will perish forever like their own dung; those who have seen them will say, "Where are they?'
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Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?
8 They will fly away like a dream, and not be found; they will be chased away like a vision of the night.
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He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw them will see them no more, nor will their place behold them any longer.
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The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.
10 Their children will seek the favor of the poor, and their hands will give back their wealth.
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His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
11 Their bodies, once full of youth, will lie down in the dust with them.
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His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.
12 "Though wickedness is sweet in their mouth, though they hide it under their tongues,
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Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
13 though they are loath to let it go, and hold it in their mouths,
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Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;
14 yet their food is turned in their stomachs; it is the venom of asps within them.
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His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.
15 They swallow down riches and vomit them up again; God casts them out of their bellies.
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He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.
16 They will suck the poison of asps; the tongue of a viper will kill them.
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He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.
17 They will not look on the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds.
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Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
18 They will give back the fruit of their toil, and will not swallow it down; from the profit of their trading they will get no enjoyment.
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He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.
19 For they have crushed and abandoned the poor, they have seized a house that they did not build.
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Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;
20 "They knew no quiet in their bellies; in their greed they let nothing escape.
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There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.
21 There was nothing left after they had eaten; therefore their prosperity will not endure.
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He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.
22 In full sufficiency they will be in distress; all the force of misery will come upon them.
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Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.
23 To fill their belly to the full God will send his fierce anger into them, and rain it upon them as their food.
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God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.
24 They will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike them through.
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He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of their body, and the glittering point comes out of their gall; terrors come upon them.
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He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.
26 Utter darkness is laid up for their treasures; a fire fanned by no one will devour them; what is left in their tent will be consumed.
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All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.
27 The heavens will reveal their iniquity, and the earth will rise up against them.
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The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.
28 The possessions of their house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God's wrath.
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The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.
29 This is the portion of the wicked from God, the heritage decreed for them by God."
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This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.