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15 He swallows up wealth,
But will (A)vomit it up;
God will expel it from his belly.
16 He sucks (B)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at (C)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He (D)returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the wealth of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy it.
19 For he has (E)crushed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.

20 “Because he knew no ease within his belly,
In his covetousness, he does (F)not let anything escape.
21 Nothing remains [a]for him to devour;
Therefore (G)his prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his plenty he will be confined;
The (H)hand of everyone who is troubled will come against him.
23 So it will be that he (I)fills his belly,
And God will send His burning anger on him
And will (J)rain it on him [b]while he is eating.
24 He may (K)flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from (L)his gall;
(M)Bouts of dread come upon him.
26 Complete (N)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures;
A (O)fire unfanned will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The (P)heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The (Q)increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away (R)in the day of His anger.
29 This is the wicked man’s (S)portion from God,
Even the inheritance decreed to him by God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 20:21 Or of what he devours
  2. Job 20:23 Or as his food

15 He will spit out the riches(A) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit(B) them up.
16 He will suck the poison(C) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.(D)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers(E) flowing with honey(F) and cream.(G)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;(H)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.(I)
19 For he has oppressed the poor(J) and left them destitute;(K)
    he has seized houses(L) he did not build.

20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(M)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.(N)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.(O)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(P)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.(Q)
23 When he has filled his belly,(R)
    God will vent his burning anger(S) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.(T)
24 Though he flees(U) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(V)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(W) will come over him;(X)
26     total darkness(Y) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(Z) unfanned will consume him(AA)
    and devour what is left in his tent.(AB)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.(AC)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(AD)
    rushing waters[a] on the day of God’s wrath.(AE)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”(AF)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 20:28 Or The possessions in his house will be carried off, / washed away

12 “Woe to him who (A)builds a city with bloodshed
And founds a town with injustice!

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12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed(A)
    and establishes a town by injustice!

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