1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, 2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste. 3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer. 4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, 5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; 7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? 8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. 9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods. 11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust. 12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; 13 Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth: 14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him. 15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly. 16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him. 17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter. 18 That 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 . 19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not; 20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired. 21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods. 22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23 When 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. 24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through. 25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him. 26 All 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. 27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him. 28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath. 29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
Segunda reprensión de Sofar a Job
1 Entonces Sofar el namatita le dijo:
2 «Creo que estoy obligado a responderte.
No me puedo quedar callado.
3 Te he escuchado censurar mis reprensiones,
y mi inteligencia me obliga a responderte.
4 ¿Acaso no sabes que esto siempre ha sido así,
desde que hubo el primer hombre en la tierra?
5 La alegría del malvado no dura mucho.
El gozo del impío es solo momentáneo.
6 Aunque su orgullo lo eleve hasta el cielo,
y crea alcanzar las nubes levantando la cabeza,
7 será, como basura, destruido para siempre,
y quienes lo hayan visto no volverán a verlo.
8 Se disipará, se esfumará como un sueño,
como una visión nocturna que nadie vuelve a tener.
9 Quienes lo conocieron, nunca más vuelven a verlo,
y en su pueblo natal nadie lo podrá reconocer.
10 Sus hijos pedirán la compasión de los pobres,
y devolverán lo que su padre haya robado.
11 Aunque ahora sea un hombre lleno de vigor,
en la tumba quedará convertido en polvo.
12 Solía deleitarse con la miel de su maldad,
que su lengua paladeaba con deleite;
13 si su maldad le parecía bien, no la dejaba,
sino que la saboreaba con fruición.
14 ¡Pero luego de comerla, le cambiará el sabor!
¡Será en sus entrañas como veneno de víboras!
15 ¡Se hartó de riquezas, y tendrá que devolverlas!
¡Dios hará que las arroje de su vientre!
16 ¡Absorberá el veneno mortal de áspides!
¡Una serpiente venenosa lo morderá,
17 y no volverá a ver los ríos ni los arroyos,
ni los torrentes de leche y miel!
18 »No disfrutará de sus riquezas injustas,
sino que todas ellas tendrá que devolverlas,
19 porque a los pobres los dejó en el desamparo,
y se adueñó de casas que él nunca construyó.
20 Por eso, nunca podrá vivir tranquilo,
pues en su ambición nada dejaba escapar.
21 Nunca nada se libró de su voracidad;
por eso su prosperidad no será duradera.
22 Su extremada abundancia le causará dolor,
y todo el poder del mal recaerá sobre él.
23 Cuando se siente a la mesa, dispuesto a comer,
Dios descargará todo el ardor de su ira
sobre él y sobre todo lo que coma.
24 Aunque huya de las armas de hierro,
caerá víctima de un arco de bronce:
25 una flecha le atravesará el cuerpo,
la punta de acero le perforará el hígado,
y le sobrevendrán terribles temores.
26 Una terrible oscuridad le está reservada;
un fuego no atizado lo consumirá,
y acabará con lo que aún quede de su casa.
27 Los cielos dejarán ver sus injusticias,
y la tierra se levantará para acusarlo.
28 El día que Dios tiene señalado para su ira,
sus hijos serán llevados al destierro y esparcidos.
29 Así castiga Dios a la gente malvada;
esa es la herencia que Dios les ha asignado.»