Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 “Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
Should a wise man answer with arguments of wind, Or fill his bosom with the east wind?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
Should he argue with speech that helpeth him not, And with words which do not profit him?
4 Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
Behold, thou makest the fear of God a vain thing, And discouragest prayer before him.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
Yea, thy own mouth proclaimeth thy iniquity, Though thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
Thy own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Thy own lips testify against thee.
7 “Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
Art thou the first man that was born? Wast thou formed before the hills?
8 Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
Hast thou listened in the council of God, And drawn all wisdom to thyself?
9 What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand which is not in us?
What dost thou know, that we know not also? What dost thou understand, that is a secret to us?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
With us are the aged and hoary-headed; Much older than thy father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
Dost thou despise the consolations of God, And words so full of kindness to thee?
12 Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
Why hath thy passion taken possession of thee? And why this winking of thine eyes?
13 that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
For against God hast thou turned thy spirit, And uttered such words from thy mouth.
14 What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he should be pure, And he that is born of woman, that he should be innocent?
15 Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
Behold, He putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And the heavens are not pure in his sight;
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
Much less, abominable and polluted man, Who drinketh iniquity as water.
17 “I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
Hear me, and I will show thee, And that which I have seen will I declare;
18 (which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
Which the wise men have told, And not kept concealed, as received from their fathers;
19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
To whom alone the land was given, And among whom not a stranger wandered.
20 the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
“All his days the wicked man is in pain; Yea, all the years, that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
A fearful sound is in his ears; In peace the destroyer cometh upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
He hath no hope that he shall escape from darkness; He is set apart for the sword.
23 He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
He wandereth about, seeking bread; He knoweth that a day of darkness is at hand.
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish fill him with dread; They prevail against him like a king ready for the battle.
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
Because he stretched forth his hand against God, And bade defiance to the Almighty,
26 he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
And ran against him with outstretched neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
27 because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
Because he covered his face with fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins,
28 He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
And dwelt in desolated cities, In houses which no man inhabiteth, That are ready to become heaps.
29 He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
He shall not be rich; his substance shall not endure, And his possessions shall not be extended upon the earth.
30 He will not depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
He shall not escape from darkness, And the flame shall dry up his branches; Yea, by the breath of His mouth shall he be taken away.
31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
“Let not man trust in vanity! he will be deceived; For vanity shall be his recompense.
32 It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
He shall come to his end before his time, And his branch shall not be green.
33 He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
He shall shake off his unripe fruit like the vine, And shed his blossoms like the olive-tree.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
The house of the unrighteous shall be famished, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forth misery, And their breast deviseth deceit.”
