Job 15
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said:
2 Should a wise man make answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking wind, and will he fill his stomach with fire?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
You rebuke with words he who is not equal to you, and you speak what is not expedient for you,
4 Yea, thou doest away with fear, and impairest devotion before God.
to such an extent that, within yourself, you have expelled reverence and have taken away prayers from the presence of God.
5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
For your iniquity has mislead your mouth, and you imitate the tongue of blasphemers.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
Your own mouth will condemn you, not I; and your own lips will answer you.
7 Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
Are you the first man who was born, or were you formed before the hills?
8 Dost thou hearken in the council of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
Have you heard the intentions of God, and will his wisdom be inferior to you?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?
What do you know, about which we are ignorant? What do you understand that we do not know?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than thy father.
There are with us both aged and ancient men, even more senior than your fathers.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee, and the word that dealeth gently with thee?
Is it so important that God should console you? But your own depraved words prevent this.
12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes wink?
Why does your heart exalt you, and why do you gaze with your eyes, as if thinking great things?
13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth.
Why does your spirit stir against God, so as to utter such speeches from your mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man that he should be immaculate, and that he should appear just, having been born of woman?
15 Behold, He putteth no trust in His holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight.
Behold, among his holy ones not one is immutable, and even the heavens are not pure in his sight.
16 How much less one that is abominable and impure, man who drinketh iniquity like water!
How much more abominable and useless is the man who drinks as if from the water of iniquity?
17 I will tell thee, hear thou me; and that which I have seen I will declare —
I will reveal to you, so listen to me; and I will explain to you what I have seen.
18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it;
The wise acknowledge, and they do not leave behind, their fathers,
19 Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them.
to whom alone the earth has been given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
The impious is arrogant for all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
The sound of terror is always in his ears; and when there is peace, he always suspects treason.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
He does not believe that it is possible for him to be turned from darkness into the light, for he sees around him the sword on every side.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread: 'Where is it?' He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
When he moves himself to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness has been prepared for his hand.
24 Distress and anguish overwhelm him; they prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Tribulation will terrify him, and anguish will prevail over him, like a king who is being prepared to go to battle.
25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, and behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;
For he has extended his hand against God, and he has strengthened himself against the Almighty.
26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers.
He has rushed against him with his throat exposed, and he has been armed with a fat neck.
27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, and made collops of fat on his loins;
Thickness has covered his face, and lard hangs down from his sides.
28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, in houses which no man would inhabit, which were ready to become heaps.
He has lived in desolate cities and deserted houses, which have been turned into tombs.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their produce bend to the earth.
He will not be enriched, nor will his basic necessities endure, nor will he establish his root in 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 withdraw from the darkness; the flame will burn up his branches, and he will be defeated by the breath of his own mouth.
31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; for vanity shall be his recompense.
He will not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he could be redeemed at any price.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be leafy.
Before his time is completed, he will pass into ruin and his hands will wither away.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
He will be wounded like a grapevine, when its cluster is in first flower, and like an olive tree that casts off its flower.
34 For the company of the godless shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
For the congregation of the hypocrites is fruitless, and fire will devour the tabernacles of those who love to accept money.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
He has conceived sorrow, and he has brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepares deceit.
