Job 15
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 Should a wise man utter vain 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 Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
Should he argue with speech that helpeth him not, And with words which do not profit him?
4 Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer 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 choosest 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: yea, thine own 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? or wast thou made before the hills?
Art thou the first man that was born? Wast thou formed before the hills?
8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to 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 With us [are] both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
With us are the aged and hoary-headed; Much older than thy father.
11 [Are] the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
Dost thou despise the consolations of God, And words so full of kindness to thee?
12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
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 [such] 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 clean? and [he which 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 saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
Behold, He putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And the heavens are not pure in his sight;
16 How much more abominable and filthy [is] man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
Much less, abominable and polluted man, Who drinketh iniquity as water.
17 I will shew thee, hear me; and that [which] 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 hid [it: ]
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 The wicked man travaileth with pain all [his] days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
“All his days the wicked man is in pain; Yea, all the years, that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A dreadful sound [is] in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come 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 waited for of 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, [saying], Where [is it]? 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 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish fill him with dread; They prevail against him like a king ready for the battle.
25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
Because he stretched forth his hand against God, And bade defiance to the Almighty,
26 He runneth upon him, [even] on [his] neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
And ran against him with outstretched neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
27 Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on [his] flanks.
Because he covered his face with fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins,
28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, [and] in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
And dwelt in desolated cities, In houses which no man inhabiteth, That are ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof 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 not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
“Let not man trust in vanity! he will be deceived; For vanity shall be his recompense.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time, 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 grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
He shall shake off his unripe fruit like the vine, And shed his blossoms like the olive-tree.
34 For the congregation of hypocrites [shall be] desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles 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 vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
They conceive mischief, and bring forth misery, And their breast deviseth deceit.”
