Zophar Speaks
4
Don’t you know that ever since antiquity,
from the time man was placed on earth,
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6
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8 from the time man was placed on earth,
He will fly away like a dream and never be found;
he will be chased away like a vision in the night.(F)
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10
11 he will be chased away like a vision in the night.(F)
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Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth
and he conceals it under his tongue,
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14 and he conceals it under his tongue,
yet the food in his stomach turns
into cobras’ venom inside him.
15 into cobras’ venom inside him.
He swallows wealth but must vomit it up;
God will force it from his stomach.
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18 God will force it from his stomach.
He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it;
he doesn’t enjoy the profits from his trading.
19 he doesn’t enjoy the profits from his trading.
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21
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24
If he flees from an iron weapon,
an arrow from a bronze bow will pierce him.
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26 an arrow from a bronze bow will pierce him.
Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
A fire unfanned by human hands will consume(R) him;
it will feed on what is left in his tent.
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28 A fire unfanned by human hands will consume(R) him;
it will feed on what is left in his tent.
The possessions in his house will be removed,
flowing away on the day of God’s anger.
29
flowing away on the day of God’s anger.
Footnotes:
a.
Job 20:2: Lit because of my feeling within me
b.
Job 20:3: Lit and a spirit from my understanding
c.
Job 20:7: Lit have seen
d.
Job 20:10: Or children must compensate
e.
Job 20:16: Lit tongue
f.
Job 20:20: Lit Because he does not know ease in his stomach
g.
Job 20:22: Lit In the fullness of his excess
h.
Job 20:22: Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read the hand of everyone in misery
i.
Job 20:23: Text emended; MT reads him, against his flesh
j.
Job 20:25: Or gallbladder