Nagsalita si Zofar
1Pagkatapos, sumagot si Zofar na taga-Naama, 2“Kailangang magsalita na ako dahil hindi ako mapakali. 3Sinaway mo ako ng may halong pangungutya at may nag-uudyok sa isip kong ikaw ay sagutin.
4“Tiyak na alam mo na mula pa noong unang panahon, simula nang likhain ang tao sa mundo, 5ang ligaya ng taong masama ay sandali lang. Totoong hindi nagtatagal ang kasiyahan ng taong hindi naniniwala sa Dios. 6Kahit na kasintaas ng langit at ulap ang tingin niya sa kanyang sarili, 7mawawala rin siya magpakailanman katulad ng kanyang dumi. Ang mga kakilala niyaʼy magtataka kung nasaan na siya. 8Mawawala siya na parang isang panaginip o pangitain sa gabi at hinding-hindi na matatagpuan. 9Hindi na siya makikita ng mga nakakakilala sa kanya at mawawala siya sa dati niyang tirahan. 10Ang mga anak niya ang magbabayad ng mga ninakaw niya sa mga dukha. 11Malakas at bata pa siyang mamamatay at ililibing.
12“Ang paggawa niya ng masama ay parang pagkaing matamis sa kanyang bibig 13na nginunguyang mabuti at ninanamnam. 14Pero pagdating sa tiyan, ito ay nagiging maasim at lalason sa kanya na parang kamandag ng ahas. 15Isusuka niyang parang pagkain ang kayamanang ninakaw niya. Ipapasuka ito ng Dios sa kanya kahit itoʼy nasa tiyan na niya. 16Sisipsipin niya ang kamandag ng mga ahas at ang pangil20:16 pangil: sa literal, dila. ng ahas ang papatay sa kanya. 17Hindi na niya matitikman ang saganang langis, gatas, at ang pulot na dumadaloy na parang batis o ilog. 18Hindi siya gagantimpalaan para sa kanyang pinaghirapan o matutuwa man sa kanyang kayamanan. 19Sapagkat inapi niya at pinabayaan ang mga dukha, at inagaw ang mga bahay na hindi sa kanya.
20“Hindi niya mapapakinabangan ang kanyang pinaghirapan. Lahat ng magugustuhan niya ay hindi makakaligtas sa kanya. 21Wala ng matitira sa kanya na makakain niya dahil mawawala ang kanyang kayamanan. 22Sa kanyang kasaganaan, darating sa kanya ang kahirapan. Labis na paghihirap nga ang darating sa kanya. 23Bubusugin siya ng Dios ng paghihirap. Patitikimin siya ng Dios ng kanyang matinding galit, at pauulanan ng parusa. 24Maaaring makatakas siya sa sandatang bakal pero tatamaan din siya ng panang tanso. 25Tutusok ito sa kanyang apdo at tatagos sa kanyang katawan. At makakaramdam siya ng takot. 26Mawawala ang kanyang kayamanan sa kadiliman. Susunugin siya ng apoy na hindi tao ang nagpaningas, pati na ang lahat ng naiwan sa kanyang tirahan.20:26 tirahan: sa literal, tolda. 27Ihahayag ng langit ang mga kasalanan niya at sasaksi naman ang lupa laban sa kanya. 28Tatangayin ng baha ang bahay niya sa araw na ibuhos ng Dios ang kanyang galit. 29Iyan ang kapalaran ng taong masama ayon sa itinakda ng Dios sa kanya.”
The Second Speech of Zophar
1Then Zophar the Naamathite replied,
2“My troubled thoughts force me to answer you.
That’s because I’m very upset.
3What you have just said dishonors me.
So I really have to reply to you.
4“I’m sure you must know how things have always been.
They’ve been that way
ever since human beings were placed on this earth.
5Those who are evil are happy for only a short time.
The joy of ungodly people lasts only for a moment.
6Their pride might reach all the way up to the heavens.
Their heads might touch the clouds.
7But they will disappear forever,
like the waste from their own bodies.
Anyone who has seen them will say,
‘Where did they go?’
8Like a dream they will fly away.
They will never be seen again.
They will be driven away like visions in the night.
9The eyes that saw them won’t see them anymore.
Even their own families won’t remember them.
10Their children must pay back what they took from poor people.
Their own hands must give back the wealth they stole.
11They might feel young and very strong.
But they will soon lie down in the dust of their graves.
12“Anything that is evil tastes sweet to them.
They keep it under their tongues for a while.
13They can’t stand to let it go.
So they hold it in their mouths.
14But their food will turn sour in their stomachs.
It will become like the poison of a serpent inside them.
15They will spit out the rich food they swallowed.
God will make their stomachs throw it up.
16They will suck the poison of a serpent.
The fangs of an adder will kill them.
17They won’t enjoy streams that flow with honey.
They won’t enjoy rivers that flow with cream.
18What they worked for they must give back
before they can eat it.
They won’t enjoy what they have earned.
19They’ve crushed poor people and left them with nothing.
They’ve taken over houses they didn’t even build.
20“No matter how much they have,
they always long for more.
But their treasure can’t save them.
21There isn’t anything left for them to eat up.
Their success won’t last.
22While they are enjoying the good life,
trouble will catch up with them.
Terrible suffering will come on them.
23When they’ve filled their stomachs,
God will pour out his great anger on them.
He’ll strike them down with blow after blow.
24They might run away from iron weapons.
But arrows that have bronze tips will wound them.
25They will pull the arrows out of their backs.
They will remove the shining tips from their livers.
They will be filled with terror.
26Total darkness hides and waits for their treasures.
God will send a fire that will destroy them.
It will burn up everything that’s left in their tents.
27Heaven will show their guilt to everyone.
The earth will be a witness against them.
28A flood will carry their houses away.
Rushing water will wash them away
on the day when God judges.
29Now you know what God will do to sinful people.
Now you know what he has planned for them.”
