The Shelf Life of Getting Away With It.

וַ֭יַּעַן צֹפַ֥ר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

לָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃

[2] “Therefore my thoughts answer me, because of my haste within me.

מוּסַ֣ר כְּלִמָּתִ֣י אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וְ֝ר֗וּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִ֥י יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃

[3] I hear censure that insults me, and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.

הֲזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַ֑ד מִנִּ֤י שִׂ֖ים אָדָ֣ם עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

[4] Do you not know this from of old, since man was placed on earth,

כִּ֤י רִנְנַ֣ת רְ֭שָׁעִים מִקָּר֑וֹב וְשִׂמְחַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃

[5] that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

אִם־יַעֲלֶ֣ה לַשָּׁמַ֣יִם שִׂיא֑וֹ וְ֝רֹאשׁ֗וֹ לָעָ֥ב יַגִּֽיעַ׃

[6] Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,

כְּֽ֭גֶלֲלוֹ לָנֶ֣צַח יֹאבֵ֑ד רֹ֝אָ֗יו יֹאמְר֥וּ אַיּֽוֹ׃

[7] he will perish forever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

כַּחֲל֣וֹם יָ֭עוּף וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד כְּחֶזְי֥וֹן לָֽיְלָה׃

[8] He will fly away like a dream and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

עַ֣יִן שְׁ֭זָפַתּוּ וְלֹ֣א תוֹסִ֑יף וְלֹא־ע֝֗וֹד תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃

[9] The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place any more behold him.

בָּ֭נָיו יְרַצּ֣וּ דַלִּ֑ים וְ֝יָדָ֗יו תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה אוֹנֽוֹ׃

[10] His children will seek the favor of the poor, and his hands will give back his wealth.

עַ֭צְמוֹתָיו מָלְא֣וּ ׳עֲלוּמָו׳ ״עֲלוּמָ֑יו״ וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ עַל־עָפָ֥ר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃

[11] His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust.

אִם־תַּמְתִּ֣יק בְּפִ֣יו רָעָ֑ה יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֽוֹ׃

[12] “Though evil is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue,

יַחְמֹ֣ל עָ֭לֶיהָ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעַזְבֶ֑נָּה וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה בְּת֣וֹךְ חִכּֽוֹ׃

[13] though he is loath to let it go and holds it in his mouth,

לַ֭חְמוֹ בְּמֵעָ֣יו נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ מְרוֹרַ֖ת פְּתָנִ֣ים בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

[14] yet his food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him.

חַ֣יִל בָּ֭לַע וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ מִ֝בִּטְנ֗וֹ יֽוֹרִשֶׁ֥נּוּ אֵֽל׃

[15] He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.

רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִ֥ים יִינָ֑ק תַּֽ֝הַרְגֵ֗הוּ לְשׁ֣וֹן אֶפְעֶֽה׃

[16] He will suck the poison of cobras; the tongue of a viper will kill him.

אַל־יֵ֥רֶא בִפְלַגּ֑וֹת נַהֲרֵ֥י נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י דְּבַ֣שׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃

[17] He will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds.

מֵשִׁ֣יב יָ֭גָע וְלֹ֣א יִבְלָ֑ע כְּחֵ֥יל תְּ֝מוּרָת֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲלֹֽס׃

[18] He will give back the fruit of his toil and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment.

כִּֽי־רִ֭צַּץ עָזַ֣ב דַּלִּ֑ים בַּ֥יִת גָּ֝זַ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יִבֶנֵֽהוּ׃

[19] For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build.

כִּ֤י׀ לֹא־יָדַ֣ע שָׁלֵ֣ו בְּבִטְנ֑וֹ בַּ֝חֲמוּד֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃

[20] “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

אֵין־שָׂרִ֥יד לְאָכְל֑וֹ עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן לֹא־יָחִ֥יל טוּבֽוֹ׃

[21] There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure.

בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקוֹ יֵ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ כָּל־יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃

[22] In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress; the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.

יְהִ֤י׀ לְמַלֵּ֬א בִטְנ֗וֹ יְֽשַׁלַּח־בּ֖וֹ חֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ וְיַמְטֵ֥ר עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ בִּלְחוּמֽוֹ׃

[23] To fill his belly to the full, God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body.

יִ֭בְרַח מִנֵּ֣שֶׁק בַּרְזֶ֑ל תַּ֝חְלְפֵ֗הוּ קֶ֣שֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

[24] He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through.

שָׁלַף֮ וַיֵּצֵ֪א מִגֵּ֫וָ֥ה וּ֭בָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָת֥וֹ יַהֲלֹ֗ךְ עָלָ֥יו אֵמִֽים׃

[25] It is drawn forth and comes out of his body; the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder; terrors come upon him.

כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ טָמ֪וּן לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו תְּ֭אָכְלֵהוּ אֵ֣שׁ לֹֽא־נֻפָּ֑ח יֵ֖רַע שָׂרִ֣יד בְּאָהֳלֽוֹ׃

[26] Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed.

יְגַלּ֣וּ שָׁמַ֣יִם עֲוֺנ֑וֹ וְ֝אֶ֗רֶץ מִתְקוֹמָ֘מָ֥ה לֽוֹ׃

[27] The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.

יִ֭גֶל יְב֣וּל בֵּית֑וֹ נִ֝גָּר֗וֹת בְּי֣וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃

[28] The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God's wrath.

זֶ֤ה׀ חֵֽלֶק־אָדָ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְנַחֲלַ֖ת אִמְר֣וֹ מֵאֵֽל׃ פ

[29] This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God.”