Job 15
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind,
Should a wise man answer with arguments of wind, Or fill his bosom with the east wind?
3 Reasoning with unprofitable talk, and with speeches which do no good?
Should he argue with speech that helpeth him not, And with words which do not profit him?
4 Yea, thou makest piety of none effect, and restrainest meditation before God.
Behold, thou makest the fear of God a vain thing, And discouragest prayer before him.
5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.
Yea, thy own mouth proclaimeth thy iniquity, Though thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.
Thy own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Thy own lips testify against thee.
7 Art thou the first man that was born? and wast thou brought forth before the hills?
Art thou the first man that was born? Wast thou formed before the hills?
8 Hast thou listened in the secret council of God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?
Hast thou listened in the council of God, And drawn all wisdom to thyself?
9 What knowest thou that we know not? [what] understandest thou 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 Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, older than thy father.
With us are the aged and hoary-headed; Much older than thy father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee? and the word gently spoken to thee?
Dost thou despise the consolations of God, And words so full of kindness to thee?
12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?
Why hath thy passion taken possession of thee? And why this winking of thine eyes?
13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest words go out of thy mouth?
For against God hast thou turned thy spirit, And uttered such words from thy mouth.
14 What is man, that he should be pure? and he that 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 putteth no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure 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 the abominable and corrupt, — man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!
Much less, abominable and polluted man, Who drinketh iniquity as water.
17 I will shew thee, listen to me; and what 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 from their fathers, and have not hidden;
Which the wise men have told, And not kept concealed, as received from their fathers;
19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
To whom alone the land was given, And among whom not a stranger wandered.
20 All his days the wicked man is tormented, and numbered years are allotted to the violent.
“All his days the wicked man is in pain; Yea, all the years, that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 The sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer cometh upon him.
A fearful sound is in his ears; In peace the destroyer cometh upon him.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is singled out for the sword.
He hath no hope that he shall escape from darkness; He is set apart for the sword.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread, — where may it be? He knoweth 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 for the battle.
Distress and anguish fill him with dread; They prevail against him like a king ready for the battle.
25 For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and strengthened himself against the Almighty:
Because he stretched forth his hand against God, And bade defiance to the Almighty,
26 He runneth against him, with [outstretched] neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers;
And ran against him with outstretched neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
27 For he hath covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat upon [his] flanks.
Because he covered his face with fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins,
28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, in houses that no man inhabiteth, which are destined to become heaps.
And dwelt in desolated cities, In houses which no man inhabiteth, That are ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not become rich, neither shall his substance continue, and their possessions shall not extend upon the earth.
He shall not be rich; his substance shall not endure, And his possessions shall not be extended upon the earth.
30 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.
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 vanity: he is deceived, for vanity shall be his recompense;
“Let not man trust in vanity! he will be deceived; For vanity shall be his recompense.
32 It shall be complete before his day, and his branch shall not be green.
He shall come to his end before his time, And his branch shall not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grapes as a vine, and shall cast his flower as an olive.
He shall shake off his unripe fruit like the vine, And shed his blossoms like the olive-tree.
34 For the family of the ungodly shall be barren, and fire shall 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 bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
They conceive mischief, and bring forth misery, And their breast deviseth deceit.”
