1 E ntonces Zofar, el Naamatita respondió:

And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --

2 “ Por esto mis pensamientos me hacen responder, A causa de mi inquietud interior.

Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.

3 H e escuchado la reprensión que me insulta, Y el espíritu de mi entendimiento me hace responder.

The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:

4 ¿ Acaso sabes esto, que desde la antigüedad, Desde que el hombre fue puesto sobre la tierra,

This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

5 E s breve el júbilo de los malvados, Y un instante dura la alegría del impío ?

That the singing of the wicked short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,

6 A unque su orgullo llegue a los cielos, Y su cabeza toque las nubes,

Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --

7 C omo su propio estiércol perece para siempre; Los que lo han visto dirán: ‘¿Dónde está ?’

As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: `Where he?'

8 H uye como un sueño, y no lo pueden encontrar, Y como visión nocturna es ahuyentado.

As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,

9 E l ojo que lo veía, ya no lo ve, Y su lugar no lo contempla más.

The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

10 S us hijos favorecen a los pobres, Y sus manos devuelven sus riquezas.

His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.

11 S us huesos están llenos de vigor juvenil, Pero yacen con él en el polvo.

His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

12 A unque el mal sea dulce en su boca, Y lo oculte bajo su lengua,

Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,

13 a unque lo desee y no lo deje ir, Sino que lo retenga en su paladar,

Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,

14 C on todo la comida en sus entrañas se transforma En veneno de cobras dentro de él.

His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps in his heart.

15 T raga riquezas, Pero las vomitará; De su vientre se las hará echar Dios.

Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.

16 C hupa veneno de cobras, Lengua de víbora lo mata.

Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.

17 N o mira a los arroyos, A los ríos que fluyen miel y cuajada.

He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

18 D evuelve lo que ha ganado, No lo puede tragar; En cuanto a las riquezas de su comercio, No las puede disfrutar.

He is giving back he laboured for, And doth not consume; As a bulwark his exchange, and he exults not.

19 P ues ha oprimido y abandonado a los pobres; Se ha apoderado de una casa que no construyó.

For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.

20 P orque no conoció quietud en su interior, No retiene nada de lo que desea.

For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.

21 N ada le quedó por devorar, Por eso no dura su prosperidad.

There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.

22 E n la plenitud de su abundancia estará en estrechez; La mano de todo el que sufre vendrá contra él.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

23 C uando llene su vientre, Dios enviará contra él el ardor de Su ira Y la hará llover sobre él mientras come.

It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.

24 T al vez huya del arma de hierro, Pero el arco de bronce lo atravesará.

He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

25 L a flecha lo traspasa y sale por su espalda, Y la punta relumbrante por su hiel. Vienen sobre él terrores,

One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him terrors.

26 C ompletas tinieblas están reservadas para sus tesoros; Fuego no atizado lo devorará, Y consumirá al que quede en su tienda.

All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.

27 L os cielos revelarán su iniquidad, Y la tierra se levantará contra él.

Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

28 L as riquezas de su casa se perderán; Serán arrasadas en el día de Su ira.

Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.

29 E sta es la porción de Dios para el hombre impío, Y la herencia decretada por Dios para él.”

This the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.