Job 20

Job · Chapter 20

Job 20:18

1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,2Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.3I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.4Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?6Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;7Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?8He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.9The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.10His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.11His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.12Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;13Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:14Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.15He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.16He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.17He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.18That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.19Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;20Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.21There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.22In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.23When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.24He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.25It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.26All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.27The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.28The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.29This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down; According to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
[he is] restoringמֵשִׁ֣יבme-SHIVH7725G
to return: return

שׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) …

[the] gainיָ֭גָעYA-go'H3022
toil

יָגָע (ya.ga) earnings, gain (product of labour)

and notוְלֹ֣אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he swallows [it]יִבְלָ֑עyiv-LA'H1104
to swallow up

בָּלַע (ba.la) 1) to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to swallow down 1a2) to swallow up, engulf 1b) (Niphal) to be swallowed up 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to swallow 1c2) to swallow up, engulf 1c3) squandering (fig.) 1d) (Pual) to be swallowed up 1e) (Hithpael) to be ended

according to [the] wealth ofכְּחֵ֥ילke-CHEILH2428H
Helech

חֵילֵךְ (che.lek) § Helech = "your army" a place near Arvad and Gammad

trading hisתְּ֝מוּרָת֗וֹte-mu-ra-TOH8545
exchange

תְּמוּרָה (te.mu.rah) that which is exchanged, exchange, substitute, recompense

and notוְלֹ֣אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he will rejoiceיַעֲלֹֽס׃ya-'a-LOSH5965
to rejoice

עָלַס (a.las) 1) to rejoice 1a) (Qal) to rejoice 1b) (Niphal) to exult 1b1) to flap joyously (of ostrich) 1c) (Hithpael) to delight oneself

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.