Job 20:5-29

5That the 1rejoicing of the wicked is short, And 2the joy of the godless momentary?6Though his arrogance 34reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,7He 5perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him 6will say, ‘Where is he?’8He flies away like a 7dream, and they cannot find him; Like a vision of the night he is 8chased away.9The 9eye which saw him sees him no longer, And 10his place no longer beholds him.10His 11sons 12favor the poor, And his hands 13give back his wealth.11His 14bones are full of his youthful strength, But it lies down with him 15in the dust.

12“Though 16evil tastes sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue,13Though he 17desires it and will not let it go, But holds it 18in his 19mouth,14Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the 20venom of cobras within him.15He swallows riches, But will 21vomit them up; God will expel them from his belly.16He sucks 22the poison of cobras; The viper’s tongue kills him.17He does not look at 23the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.18He 24returns the product of his labor And cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them.19For he has 25oppressed and neglected the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built.

20“Because he knew no quiet 26within him, He does 27not retain anything he desires.21Nothing remains 28for him to devour, Therefore 29his prosperity does not endure.22In the fullness of his excess he will be cramped; The 30hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.23When he 31fills his belly, God will send His fierce anger on him And 32rain it on him 33while he is eating.24He may 34flee from the iron weapon, But the bronze bow will pierce him.25It is drawn and comes out of his back, Even the flashing point from 35his gallbladder; 36Terrors come upon him,26Complete 37darkness is held in reserve for his treasures, And unfanned 38fire will devour him; It will consume the survivor in his tent.27The 39heavens will reveal his guilt, And the earth will rise up against him.28The 40increase of his house will disappear; His possessions will flow away 41on the day of His anger.29This is a wicked person’s 42portion from God, The inheritance decreed to him by God.”