Job 20:14
New International Version
yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him.

New Living Translation
But suddenly the food in their bellies turns sour, a poisonous venom in their stomach.

English Standard Version
yet his food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him.

Berean Standard Bible
yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.

King James Bible
Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

New King James Version
Yet his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him.

New American Standard Bible
Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.

NASB 1995
Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.

NASB 1977
Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.

Amplified Bible
Yet his food turns [to poison] in his stomach; It is the venom of vipers within him.

Christian Standard Bible
yet the food in his stomach turns into cobras’ venom inside him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
yet the food in his stomach turns into cobras’ venom inside him.

American Standard Version
Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.

Contemporary English Version
But their food will turn sour and poison their stomachs.

English Revised Version
Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
the food in his belly turns sour. It becomes snake venom in his stomach.

Good News Translation
But in their stomachs the food turns bitter, as bitter as any poison could be.

International Standard Version
his food will turn rancid in his stomach— it will become a cobra's poison inside him.

Majority Standard Bible
yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.

NET Bible
his food is turned sour in his stomach; it becomes the venom of serpents within him.

New Heart English Bible
yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Yet his food in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

World English Bible
yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
his food is turned in his bowels, the bitterness of cobras [is] in his heart.

Young's Literal Translation
His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps is in his heart.

Smith's Literal Translation
His bread in his bowels was turned, the gall of asps in his midst.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
His bread in his belly shall be turned into the gall of asps within him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
His bread in his belly will be turned into the venom of snakes within him.

New American Bible
Yet in his stomach the food shall turn; it shall be venom of asps inside him.

New Revised Standard Version
yet their food is turned in their stomachs; it is the venom of asps within them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Yet his food in his stomach is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
His bread in his stomach will be turned, and the venom of The Dragon is within him
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
yet he shall not at all be able to help himself; the gall of an asp is in his belly.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked
13though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, 14yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him. 15He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.…

Cross References
Proverbs 23:31-32
Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. / In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.

Psalm 140:3
They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah

James 3:8
but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Romans 3:13
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”

Isaiah 59:5
They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.

Jeremiah 8:14
Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

Revelation 8:11
The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter like wormwood oil, and many people died from the bitter waters.

Deuteronomy 32:32-33
But their vine is from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; their clusters are bitter. / Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.

Matthew 23:33
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

Psalm 58:4
Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Isaiah 30:6
This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.

1 Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Jeremiah 9:15
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

Revelation 9:19
For the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; indeed, their tails were like snakes, having heads with which to inflict harm.


Treasury of Scripture

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

his meat

2 Samuel 11:2-5
And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon…

2 Samuel 12:10,11
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife…

Psalm 32:3,4
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long…

the gall

Job 20:16
He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

Deuteronomy 32:24
They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

Romans 3:13
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

Jump to Previous
Asps Bitter Bitterness Bowels Changed Cobra Cobras Food Gall Heart Inside Meat Poison Serpents Snakes Sour Stomach Turn Turned Venom Within
Jump to Next
Asps Bitter Bitterness Bowels Changed Cobra Cobras Food Gall Heart Inside Meat Poison Serpents Snakes Sour Stomach Turn Turned Venom Within
Job 20
1. Zophar shows the state and portion of the wicked














yet in his stomach
This phrase suggests an internal process, indicating that the consequences of one's actions are not always immediately visible. In biblical terms, the stomach often symbolizes the seat of desire or appetite. This can be connected to the broader biblical theme of internal corruption, as seen in Matthew 15:17-20, where Jesus speaks about what comes from the heart defiling a person.

his food sours
The souring of food symbolizes the transformation of something initially perceived as good into something harmful. This reflects the biblical principle that sin, though initially appealing, ultimately leads to destruction. Proverbs 20:17 states, "Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel," illustrating the deceptive nature of sin.

into the venom of cobras
Cobras are often associated with danger and death in the Bible. The venom represents the deadly consequences of sin. In Deuteronomy 32:33, the venom of serpents is used metaphorically to describe the bitterness and deadly nature of Israel's enemies. This imagery underscores the idea that sin's consequences are not only harmful but potentially lethal.

within him
This phrase emphasizes the internalization of sin's consequences. It suggests that the effects of sin are not just external but deeply affect the sinner's inner being. This can be related to James 1:14-15, which describes how desire, when conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully grown, brings forth death. The internal aspect highlights the personal and spiritual impact of sin.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. The central figure in the Book of Job, he undergoes severe trials and suffering.

2. Zophar the Naamathite
One of Job's three friends who visit him to offer counsel. Zophar is the speaker in Job 20, delivering a speech that emphasizes the fate of the wicked.

3. The Wicked
In this context, Zophar is describing the fate of the wicked, suggesting that their ill-gotten gains will turn against them.

4. Cobra
A venomous snake used metaphorically to describe the deadly consequences of sin and wickedness.

5. The Book of Job
A poetic and philosophical book in the Old Testament that explores themes of suffering, justice, and the sovereignty of God.
Teaching Points
The Deceptive Nature of Sin
Sin may initially appear satisfying or beneficial, but it ultimately leads to destruction and bitterness, much like food that turns to venom.

The Consequences of Wickedness
The passage serves as a warning that the gains of the wicked will not bring lasting satisfaction and will ultimately lead to their downfall.

The Importance of Righteous Living
In contrast to the fate of the wicked, living a life of integrity and righteousness aligns with God's will and leads to true fulfillment.

The Role of Friends in Times of Suffering
Zophar's speech, while intended to counsel, reflects a misunderstanding of Job's situation. This highlights the need for discernment and compassion when offering support to those in distress.Verse 14. - Yet his meat in his bowels is turned. Still, a time comes when the self-complacency of the wicked man is shaken. He experiences a failure of health or spirits. Then, suddenly, it is as if the meat that he has swallowed had been turned to poison in his bowels, as if the gall of asps were within him. Compare what Bishop Butler says of the sudden waking up of a man's conscience ('Analogy,' pt. 1. ch. 2. p. 52). The ancients seem to have known that the poison of serpents was a strong acid, and therefore supposed that it was secreted by the gallbladder (see Pliny, 'Hist. Nat.,' 11:37).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
yet his food
לַ֭חְמוֹ (laḥ·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

will sour
נֶהְפָּ֑ךְ (neh·pāḵ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2015: To turn about, over, to change, overturn, return, pervert

in his stomach
בְּמֵעָ֣יו (bə·mê·‘āw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4578: The intestines, the abdomen, sympathy, a vest, the stomach, the uterus, the heart

to the venom
מְרוֹרַ֖ת (mə·rō·w·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4846: Bitterness, a bitter thing, bile, venom

of cobras
פְּתָנִ֣ים (pə·ṯā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6620: (a venomous serpent) perhaps cobra

within him.
בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ (bə·qir·bōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center


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OT Poetry: Job 20:14 Yet his food in his bowels (Jb)
Job 20:13
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