Job 15
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind,
“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Reasoning with unprofitable talk, and with speeches which do no good?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yea, thou makest piety of none effect, and restrainest meditation before God.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 Art thou the first man that was born? and wast thou brought forth before the hills?
“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
8 Hast thou listened in the secret council of God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?
Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What knowest thou that we know not? [what] understandest thou which is not in us?
What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
10 Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, older than thy father.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee? and the word gently spoken to thee?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest words go out of thy mouth?
that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your 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 clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight:
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 How much less the abominable and corrupt, — man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!
how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 I will shew thee, listen to me; and what I have seen I will declare;
“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hidden;
(which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
20 All his days the wicked man is tormented, and numbered years are allotted to the violent.
the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of 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 sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is singled out for the sword.
He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by 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 wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for the battle.
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and strengthened himself against the Almighty:
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 He runneth against him, with [outstretched] neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers;
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
27 For he hath covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat upon [his] flanks.
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, in houses that no man inhabiteth, which are destined to become heaps.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were 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 will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on 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 will not depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
31 Let him not trust in vanity: he is deceived, for vanity shall be his recompense;
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 It shall be complete before his day, and his branch shall not be green.
It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grapes as a vine, and shall cast his flower as an olive.
He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 For the family of the ungodly shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
