Job 15
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said:
2 Should a wise man utter vain 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 useless 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, you cast off fear, and restrain prayer 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 your mouth utters your iniquity, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
For your iniquity has mislead your mouth, and you imitate the tongue of blasphemers.
6 your own mouth condemns you, and not I: yea, your own lips testify against you.
Your own mouth will condemn you, not I; and your own lips will answer you.
7 Are you the first man that was born? or were you made before the hills?
Are you the first man who was born, or were you formed before the hills?
8 Have you heard the secret of God? and do you restrain wisdom to yourself?
Have you heard the intentions of God, and will his wisdom be inferior to you?
9 What know you, that we know not? what understand you, 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 grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than your father.
There are with us both aged and ancient men, even more senior than your fathers.
11 Are the consolations of God small with you? is there any secret thing with you?
Is it so important that God should console you? But your own depraved words prevent this.
12 Why does your heart carry you away? and what do your eyes overlook,
Why does your heart exalt you, and why do you gaze with your eyes, as if thinking great things?
13 That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your 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 which 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 puts no trust in his saints; 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 more abominable and filthy is man, which drinks iniquity like water?
How much more abominable and useless is the man who drinks as if from the water of iniquity?
17 I will show you, hear 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 earth 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 labors with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
The impious is arrogant for all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
21 A dreadful sound 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 believes 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 wanders abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knows 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 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall 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 For he stretches out his hand against God, and strengthens himself against the Almighty.
For he has extended his hand against God, and he has strengthened himself against the Almighty.
26 He runs upon him, even on his neck, upon 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 covers his face with his fatness, and makes fatness on his flanks.
Thickness has covered his face, and lard hangs down from his sides.
28 And he dwells in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabits, which are 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 he prolong the perfection thereof upon 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 not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
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 green.
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 congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles 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 vanity, and their belly prepares deceit.
He has conceived sorrow, and he has brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepares deceit.
