1. Zophar from Naamah said:
2. Your words are disturbing;now I must speak.
3. You have accusedand insulted me,and reason requires a reply.
4. Since the time of creation,everyone has known
5. that sinful people are happyfor only a while.
6. Though their pride and powermay reach to the sky,
7. they will disappear like dust,and those who knew themwill wonder what happened.
8. They will be forgottenlike a dream
9. and vanish from the sightof family and friends.
10. Their children will have to repaywhat the parents tookfrom the poor.
11. Indeed, the wicked will dieand go to their gravesin the prime of life.
12. Sinners love the taste of sin;they relish every bite
13. and swallow it slowly.
14. But their food will turn sourand poison their stomachs.
15. Then God will make them losethe wealth they gobbled up.
16. They will die from the fangsof poisonous snakes
17. and never enjoy rivers flowingwith milk and honey.
18. Their hard work will resultin nothing gained,
19. because they cheated the poorand took their homes.
20. Greedy people want everythingand are never satisfied.
21. But when nothing remainsfor them to grab,they will be nothing.
22. Once they have everything,distress and despairwill strike them down,
23. and God will make them swallowhis blazing anger.
24. While running from iron spears,they will be killedby arrows of bronze,
25. whose shining tips go straightthrough their bodies.They will be trapped by terror,
26. and what they treasure mostwill be lost in the dark.God will send flamesto destroy them in their tentswith all their property.
27. The heavens and the earthwill testify against them,
28. and all their possessionswill be dragged offwhen God becomes angry.
29. This is what God has decidedfor those who are evil.