Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked

1  וַ֭יַּעַן (And answered) צֹפַ֥ר (Zophar) הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֗י (the Naamathite) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (and said):

2  לָ֭כֵן (So) שְׂעִפַּ֣י (my anxious thoughts) יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי (make me answer),

וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר (because) ח֣וּשִׁי (of my urgency) בִֽי׃ (within me).

3  מוּסַ֣ר (The rebuke) כְּלִמָּתִ֣י (of my shaming) אֶשְׁמָ֑ע (I have heard),

וְ֝ר֗וּחַ (and a spirit) מִֽבִּינָתִ֥י (from my understanding) יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ (answers for me).

4  הֲזֹ֣את (This) יָ֭דַעְתָּ (do you know) מִנִּי־ (from) עַ֑ד (long ago),

מִנִּ֤י (from) שִׂ֖ים (the placing) אָדָ֣ם (of man) עֲלֵי־ (upon) אָֽרֶץ׃ (the earth),

5  כִּ֤י (that) רִנְנַ֣ת (the triumph) רְ֭שָׁעִים (of the wicked) מִקָּר֑וֹב (is brief),

וְשִׂמְחַ֖ת (and the rejoicing) חָנֵ֣ף (of the godless) עֲדֵי־ (is for) רָֽגַע׃ (a moment).

6  אִם־ (Though) יַעֲלֶ֣ה (should go up) לַשָּׁמַ֣יִם (to the heavens) שִׂיא֑וֹ (his loftiness),

וְ֝רֹאשׁ֗וֹ (and his head) לָעָ֥ב (to the clouds) יַגִּֽיעַ׃ (should touch),

7  כְּֽ֭גֶלֲלוֹ (like his dung) לָנֶ֣צַח (forever) יֹאבֵ֑ד (he will perish);

רֹ֝אָ֗יו (those having seen him) יֹאמְר֥וּ (will say), אַיּֽוֹ׃ (Where is he).

8  כַּחֲל֣וֹם (Like a dream) יָ֭עוּף (he will fly away) וְלֹ֣א (and not) יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ (they will find him),

וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד (and he will be made to wander) כְּחֶזְי֥וֹן (like a vision) לָֽיְלָה׃ (of the night).

9  עַ֣יִן (The eye) שְׁ֭זָפַתּוּ (that saw him) וְלֹ֣א (and not) תוֹסִ֑יף (will it continue to),

וְלֹא־ (and not) ע֝֗וֹד (again) תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ (will behold him) מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ (his place).

10  בָּ֭נָיו (His children) יְרַצּ֣וּ (will recompense) דַלִּ֑ים (the poor),

וְ֝יָדָ֗יו (and his hands) תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה (will return to others) אוֹנֽוֹ׃ (his wealth).

11  עַ֭צְמוֹתָיו (His bones) מָלְא֣וּ (are full of) עֲלוּמוֹ (his vigor),

וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ (and with him) עַל־ (upon) עָפָ֥ר (the dust) תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ (it will lie down).

12  אִם־ (Though) תַּמְתִּ֣יק (is sweet) בְּפִ֣יו (in his mouth) רָעָ֑ה (evil),

יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה (and he hides it) תַּ֣חַת (under) לְשׁוֹנֽוֹ׃ (his tongue);

13  יַחְמֹ֣ל (he has pity) עָ֭לֶיהָ (on it) וְלֹ֣א (and not) יַֽעַזְבֶ֑נָּה (does forsake it),

וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה (and he withholds it) בְּת֣וֹךְ (in the midst) חִכּֽוֹ׃ (of his palate);

14  לַ֭חְמוֹ (his food) בְּמֵעָ֣יו (in his belly) נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ (is turned over),

מְרוֹרַ֖ת (and the venom) פְּתָנִ֣ים (of cobras) בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ (is within him).

15  חַ֣יִל (Wealth) בָּ֭לַע (he swallowed) וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ (and vomits it);

מִ֝בִּטְנ֗וֹ (from his belly) יוֹרִשֶׁ֥נּוּ (expels it) אֵֽל׃ (God).

16  רֹאשׁ־ (The poison) פְּתָנִ֥ים (of cobras) יִינָ֑ק (he will suck);

תַּֽ֝הַרְגֵ֗הוּ (and will kill him) לְשׁ֣וֹן (the tongue) אֶפְעֶֽה׃ (of the viper).

17  אַל־ (Not) יֵ֥רֶא (shall he look on) בִפְלַגּ֑וֹת (streams),

נַהֲרֵ֥י (or rivers) נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י (with torrents) דְּבַ֣שׁ (of honey) וְחֶמְאָֽה׃ (and cream).

18  מֵשִׁ֣יב (He will return) יָ֭גָע (his gain), וְלֹ֣א (and not) יִבְלָ֑ע (consume it);

כְּחֵ֥יל (from the wealth) תְּ֝מוּרָת֗וֹ (of his exchange) וְלֹ֣א (not) יַעֲלֹֽס׃ (will he rejoice).

19  כִּֽי־ (For) רִ֭צַּץ (he has crushed) עָזַ֣ב (and forsaken) דַּלִּ֑ים (the poor);

בַּ֥יִת (a house) גָּ֝זַ֗ל (he has seized), וְלֹ֣א (and not) יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃ (did he build it).

20  כִּ֤י׀ (For) לֹא־ (not) יָדַ֣ע (has he known) שָׁלֵ֣ו (quiet) בְּבִטְנ֑וֹ (in his belly),

בַּ֝חֲמוּד֗וֹ (and with his desiring) לֹ֣א (not) יְמַלֵּֽט׃ (deliver himself).

21  אֵין־ (There is no) שָׂרִ֥יד (remnant) לְאָכְל֑וֹ (for him to eat);

עַל־ (and upon) כֵּ֝֗ן (thus) לֹא־ (not) יָחִ֥יל (will endure) טוּבֽוֹ׃ (his prosperity).

22  בִּמְלֹ֣אות (In the fullness) שִׂ֭פְקוֹ (of his sufficiency) יֵ֣צֶר (there will be distress) ל֑וֹ (for him);

כָּל־ (every) יַ֖ד (hand) עָמֵ֣ל (of toil) תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃ (will come upon him).

23  יְהִ֤י׀ (It will come to pass) לְמַלֵּ֬א (at the filling) בִטְנ֗וֹ (of his belly),

יְֽשַׁלַּח־ (that God will send forth) בּ֭וֹ (against him) חֲר֣וֹן (the burning) אַפּ֑וֹ (of His anger),

וְיַמְטֵ֥ר (and will rain) עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ (upon him) בִּלְחוּמֽוֹ׃ (within his bowels).

24  יִ֭בְרַח (He will flee) מִנֵּ֣שֶׁק (from a weapon) בַּרְזֶ֑ל (iron);

תַּ֝חְלְפֵ֗הוּ (will pierce him through) קֶ֣שֶׁת (a bow) נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ (of bronze).

25  שָׁלַף֮ (It is drawn) וַיֵּצֵ֪א (and comes out) מִגֵּ֫וָ֥ה (from the back),

וּ֭בָרָק (and the gleaming point) מִֽמְּרֹרָת֥וֹ (from his gall);

יַהֲלֹ֗ךְ (shall come) עָלָ֥יו (over him) אֵמִֽים׃ (terrors).

26  כָּל־ (Complete) חֹשֶׁךְ֮ (darkness) טָמ֪וּן (is hidden) לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו (for his treasuring);

תְּ֭אָכְלֵהוּ (will consume him) אֵ֣שׁ (a fire) לֹֽא־ (that is not) נֻפָּ֑ח (fanned);

יֵ֖רַע (will be devoured) שָׂרִ֣יד (the remnant) בְּאָהֳלֽוֹ׃ (in his tent).

27  יְגַלּ֣וּ (Will uncover) שָׁמַ֣יִם (the heavens) עֲוֺנ֑וֹ (his iniquity),

וְ֝אֶ֗רֶץ (and the earth) מִתְקוֹמָ֘מָ֥ה (will rise up) לֽוֹ׃ (against him).

28  יִ֭גֶל (Will roll away) יְב֣וּל (the flood) בֵּית֑וֹ (his house),

נִ֝גָּר֗וֹת (flowing away) בְּי֣וֹם (on the day) אַפּֽוֹ׃ (of His anger).

29  זֶ֤ה׀ (This is) חֵֽלֶק־ (the portion) אָדָ֣ם (of a man) רָ֭שָׁע (wicked) מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים (from God),

וְנַחֲלַ֖ת (and the heritage) אִמְר֣וֹ (appointed to him) מֵאֵֽל׃פ (from God).