23 When he has filled his belly, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows on him. 24 Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him. 25 He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors will come over him; 26 total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. 27 The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him. 28 A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters[1] on the day of God's wrath. 29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God."

Other Translations of Job 20:23-29

King James Version

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 appointed...: Heb. of his decree from God unto him by God.

English Standard Version

23 To fill his belly to the full, GodHebrew he will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body. 24 He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through. 25 It is drawn forth and comes out of his body; the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder; terrors come upon him. 26 Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed. 27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. 28 The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God'sHebrew his wrath. 29 This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God."

The Message

23 When they've filled their bellies with that, God gives them a taste of his anger, and they get to chew on that for a while. 24 As they run for their lives from one disaster, they run smack into another. 25 They're knocked around from pillar to post, beaten to within an inch of their lives. They're trapped in a house of horrors, 26 and see their loot disappear down a black hole. Their lives are a total loss - not a penny to their name, not so much as a bean. 27 God will strip them of their sin-soaked clothes and hang their dirty laundry out for all to see. 28 Life is a complete wipeout for them, nothing surviving God's wrath. 29 There! That's God's blueprint for the wicked - what they have to look forward to."

New King James Version

23 When he is about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of His wrath, And will rain it on him while he is eating. 24 He will flee from the iron weapon; A bronze bow will pierce him through. 25 It is drawn, and comes out of the body; Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors come upon him; 26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. An unfanned fire will consume him; It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent. 27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him. 28 The increase of his house will depart, And his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath. 29 This is the portion from God for a wicked man, The heritage appointed to him by God."

New Living Translation

23 May God give them a bellyful of trouble. May God rain down his anger upon them. 24 When they try to escape an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce them. 25 The arrow is pulled from their back, and the arrowhead glistens with blood. The terrors of death are upon them. 26 Their treasures will be thrown into deepest darkness. A wildfire will devour their goods, consuming all they have left. 27 The heavens will reveal their guilt, and the earth will testify against them. 28 A flood will sweep away their house. God's anger will descend on them in torrents. 29 This is the reward that God gives the wicked. It is the inheritance decreed by God."

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 20:23-29

Commentary on Job 20:23-29

(Read Job 20:23-29)

Zophar, having described the vexations which attend wicked practices, shows their ruin from God's wrath. There is no fence against this, but in Christ, who is the only Covert from the storm and tempest, Isaiah 32:2. Zophar concludes, "This is the portion of a wicked man from God;" it is allotted him. Never was any doctrine better explained, or worse applied, than this by Zophar, who intended to prove Job a hypocrite. Let us receive the good explanation, and make a better application, for warning to ourselves, to stand in awe and sin not. One view of Jesus, directed by the Holy Spirit, and by him suitably impressed upon our souls, will quell a thousand carnal reasonings about the suffering of the faithful.