20:1

וַיַּעַן צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי וַיֹּאמַר׃

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:

20:2

לָכֵן שְׂעִפַּי יְשִׁיבוּנִי וּבַעֲבוּר חוּשִׁי בִי׃

Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of mine agitation that is in me.

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20:3

מוּסַר כְּלִמָּתִי אֶשְׁמָע וְרוּחַ מִבִּינָתִי יַעֲנֵנִי׃

I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame, But out of my understanding my spirit answereth me.

20:4

הֲזֹאת יָדַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַד מִנִּי שִׂים אָדָם עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ׃

Knowest thou not this of old time, Since man was placed upon earth,

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20:5

כִּי רִנְנַת רְשָׁעִים מִקָּרוֹב וְשִׂמְחַת חָנֵף עֲדֵי־רָגַע׃

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless but for a moment?

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20:6

אִם־יַעֲלֶה לַשָּׁמַיִם שִׂיאוֹ וְרֹאשׁוֹ לָעָב יַגִּיעַ׃

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;

20:7

כְּגֶלֲלוֹ לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵד רֹאָיו יֹאמְרוּ אַיּוֹ׃

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung; They that have seen him shall say: ‘Where is he?’

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20:8

כַּחֲלוֹם יָעוּף וְלֹא יִמְצָאוּהוּ וְיֻדַּד כְּחֶזְיוֹן לָיְלָה׃

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found; Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

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20:9

עַיִן שְׁזָפַתּוּ וְלֹא תוֹסִיף וְלֹא־עוֹד תְּשׁוּרֶנּוּ מְקוֹמוֹ׃

The eye which saw him shall see him no more; Neither shall his place any more behold him.

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20:10

בָּנָיו יְרַצּוּ דַלִּים וְיָדָיו תָּשֵׁבְנָה אוֹנוֹ׃

His children shall appease the poor, And his hands shall restore his wealth.

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20:11

עַצְמוֹתָיו מָלְאוּ עלומו [עֲלוּמָיו] וְעִמּוֹ עַל־עָפָר תִּשְׁכָּב׃

His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust.

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20:12

אִם־תַּמְתִּיק בְּפִיו רָעָה יַכְחִידֶנָּה תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנוֹ׃

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue;

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20:13

יַחְמֹל עָלֶיהָ וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶנָּה וְיִמְנָעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ חִכּוֹ׃

Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth;

20:14

לַחְמוֹ בְּמֵעָיו נֶהְפָּךְ מְרוֹרַת פְּתָנִים בְּקִרְבּוֹ׃

Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.

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20:15

חַיִל בָּלַע וַיְקִאֶנּוּ מִבִּטְנוֹ יוֹרִשֶׁנּוּ אֵל׃

He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly.

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20:16

רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִים יִינָק תַּהַרְגֵהוּ לְשׁוֹן אֶפְעֶה׃

He shall suck the poison of asps; The viper’s tongue shall slay him.

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20:17

אַל־יֵרֶא בִפְלַגּוֹת נַהֲרֵי נַחֲלֵי דְּבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָה׃

He shall not look upon the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and curd.

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20:18

מֵשִׁיב יָגָע וְלֹא יִבְלָע כְּחֵיל תְּמוּרָתוֹ וְלֹא יַעֲלֹס׃

That which he laboured for shall he give back, and shall not swallow it down; According to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.

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20:19

כִּי־רִצַּץ עָזַב דַּלִּים בַּיִת גָּזַל וְלֹא יִבֶנֵהוּ׃

For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; He hath violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

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20:20

כִּי לֹא־יָדַע שָׁלֵו בְּבִטְנוֹ בַּחֲמוּדוֹ לֹא יְמַלֵּט׃

Because he knew no quietness within him, In his greed he suffered nought to escape,

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20:21

אֵין־שָׂרִיד לְאָכְלוֹ עַל־כֵּן לֹא־יָחִיל טוּבוֹ׃

There was nothing left that he devoured not— Therefore his prosperity shall not endure. .

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20:22

בִּמְלֹאות שִׂפְקוֹ יֵצֶר לוֹ כָּל־יַד עָמֵל תְּבוֹאֶנּוּ׃

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

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20:23

יְהִי לְמַלֵּא בִטְנוֹ יְשַׁלַּח־בּוֹ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְיַמְטֵר עָלֵימוֹ בִּלְחוּמוֹ׃

It shall be for the filling of his belly; He shall cast the fierceness of His wrath upon him, And shall cause it to rain upon him into his flesh.

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20:24

יִבְרַח מִנֵּשֶׁק בַּרְזֶל תַּחְלְפֵהוּ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָׁה׃

If he flee from the iron weapon, The bow of brass shall strike him through.

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20:25

שָׁלַף וַיֵּצֵא מִגֵּוָה וּבָרָק מִמְּרֹרָתוֹ יַהֲלֹךְ עָלָיו אֵמִים׃

He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; Terrors are upon him.

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20:26

כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ טָמוּן לִצְפּוּנָיו תְּאָכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא־נֻפָּח יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאָהֳלוֹ׃

All darkness is laid up for his treasures; A fire not blown by man shall consume him; It shall go ill with him that is left in his tent.

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20:27

יְגַלּוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲוֺנוֹ וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לוֹ׃

The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him.

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20:28

יִגֶל יְבוּל בֵּיתוֹ נִגָּרוֹת בְּיוֹם אַפּוֹ׃

The increase of his house shall depart, His goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

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20:29

זֶה חֵלֶק־אָדָם רָשָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִים וְנַחֲלַת אִמְרוֹ מֵאֵל׃

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the heritage appointed unto him by God.

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