Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3 Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4 But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.
Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before El.
5 For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
7 Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
8 Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
Hast thou heard the secret of Eloah? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9 What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side— men much older than your father.
With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
11 Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?
Are the consolations of El small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
13 as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?
That thou turnest thy spirit against El, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
17 Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,
I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
18 what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,
Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
19 to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.
Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
21 Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23 He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
For he stretcheth out his hand against El, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
26 rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.
He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27 Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,
Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
28 he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
30 He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.
Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
