Da svarte Zofar fra Naama og sa:

Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

Mine tanker uroer meg og driver meg til å svare.

For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.

Jeg må lytte til ord som ydmyker meg, men dine svar er som vind uten visdom.

I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.

Har du kjennskap til dette fra eldgamle tider, da mennesket ble satt på jorden,

Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,

at synders stolthet er kortvarig, og den ondes glede varer bare et øyeblikk?

That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?

Selv om han er løftet opp til himmelen, og hans hode når skyene,

Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;

forsvinner han som avføring for alltid: de som så ham sier, Hvor er han?

Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

Han er borte som en drøm og sees ikke igjen; han flyr bort som en nattlig visjon.

He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.

Øyet som så ham ser ham ikke mer; hans plass kjenner ham ikke lenger.

The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.

Hans barn håper på hjelp fra de fattige, og hans hender gir tilbake hans rikdom.

His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.

Hans ben er fulle av ungdommelig styrke, men den går med ham ned i støvet.

His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.

Selv om ondskapen er søt i hans munn, og han holder den skjult under tungen;

Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;

Selv om han tar vare på den og ikke lar den gå, men holder den i munnen;

Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

Blir hans mat bitter i magen; slangegiften er i ham.

His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

Han svelger rikdom som mat, men kaster den opp igjen; den drives ut av hans mage av Gud.

He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

Han tar slangegiften inn i munnen, slangenes tunge forårsaker hans død.

He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.

Han får ikke se elvene av olje, strømmer av honning og melk.

Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.

Han må gi tilbake frukten av sitt arbeid og kan ikke nyte det; han har ingen glede av sin gevinst.

He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.

Fordi han har vært grusom mot de fattige, vendt seg vekk fra dem i deres nød; fordi han har tatt et hus med makt som han ikke har bygd;

Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;

Det er ingen fred for ham i hans rikdom, og ingen frelse i de tingene han tok glede i.

There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.

Han fikk aldri nok for sitt begjær; derfor vil hans velstand fort ta slutt.

He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

Selv når hans rikdom er stor, er han full av uro, for alle som er i nød vender seg mot ham.

Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

Gud gir ham hans ønske, og sender sin harme over ham, som regn overvelder den.

God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

Han kan flykte fra jernsverdet, men pilen fra den bronse buen vil gå igjennom ham;

He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

Han trekker den ut, og den kommer ut av hans rygg; dens skinnende spiss kommer ut av hans side; han er overmannet av frykt.

He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.

All hans rikdom er lagret for mørket: en ild ikke laget av menneske sender ødeleggelse over ham, og over alt i hans telt.

All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.

Himmelen åpenbarer hans synd, og jorden vitner mot ham.

The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.

Husets inntekter tas bort til et annet land, som ting gitt i andres hender på vredens dag.

The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.

Dette er den ondes belønning, og arven han får fra Gud.

This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.