Job Chapter 20 verse 12 Holy Bible
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,
read chapter 20 in ASV
Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
read chapter 20 in BBE
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth [and] he hide it under his tongue,
read chapter 20 in DARBY
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
read chapter 20 in KJV
Though wickedness may be sweet in his mouth, though he may hide it under his tongue;
read chapter 20 in WBT
"Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,
read chapter 20 in WEB
Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,
read chapter 20 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerses 12, 13. - Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth; i.e. though the wicked man delight in his wickedness, and gloat over it, and keep the thought of it in his mind, as a gourmand keeps, so long as he can, a delicious taste in his mouth; though he, as it were, hide it under his tongue, in order not to let it escape him; though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth, yet, notwithstanding all this, disgust and nausea arrive in course of time (see the next two verses). It is, perhaps, the most surprising among the phenomena of wickedness that men can gloat over it, voluntarily recur to it, make a boast of it, recount signal instances of it to their friends, and seem to find a satisfaction in the recollection. One would have expected that shame and self-disapproval and fear of retribution would have led them to dismiss their wicked acts from their thoughts as soon as possible. But certainly the fact is otherwise.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth.--He draws a picture of the wicked man after the pattern of a gourmand or glutton, which, if it were intended to apply to Job, was a fresh instance of heartless cruelty, as well as of an entire want of discernment of character, and of unfitness for the office of judge he was so ready to assume. It is possible that the reproach here aimed at Job was that of inordinate love of riches, which Zophar extracts from the bare fact of his having been a wealthy man.
