Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Then responded 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 unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?
4 Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.
7 “Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
The first of mankind, wast thou born? Or, before the hills, wast thou brought forth?
8 Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?
9 What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand which is not in us?
What knowest thou, that we know not? [What] understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?
12 Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!
13 that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth—out of thy mouth—words!
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 a mortal, that he should be pure? or that righteous should be one born of a woman?
15 Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in—like water—perversity.
17 “I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
I will tell thee—hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.
18 (which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
Which, wise men, tell, and deny not [that which is] from their fathers.
19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:
20 the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
All the days of the lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, 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 confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;
23 He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
A wanderer, he, for bread, [saying] Where [is it]? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is the day of darkness;
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
Because he had stretched out—against GOD—his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;
26 he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;
27 because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
For he had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;
28 He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined 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, nor shall his substance continue, neither shall their shadow stretch along on 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 depart out of darkness, his young branch, shall the flame dry up, and he shall depart, by the breath of his own mouth!
31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
Let no one trust in him that—by vanity—is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;
32 It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;
33 He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
He shall wrong—like a vine—his sour grapes, and shall cast off—as an olive-tree—his blossom.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;
35 They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.
