< Job 15 >
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 Should a wise man utter windy knowledge, and fill his inward parts with the east wind?
"Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Should he reason with a speech which availeth nothing? and with words in which there is no profit?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yea, thou truly makest void the fear [of God], and diminishest devotion before God.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 For thy iniquity teacheth thy mouth, so that thou choosest the language of the crafty.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Thy own mouth must condemn thee, but not I: yea, thy own lips will testify against thee.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 Wast thou born as the first man? or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
"Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Hast thou listened to the secret counsel of God? and is wisdom therefore of little esteem with thee?
Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What knowest thou, that we do not know? what understandest thou, which is not with us?
What do you know, that we do not know? What do you understand, which is not in us?
10 Both the grayheaded and the very aged are among us, — richer than thy father in days.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder than your father.
11 Are the divine consolations too little for thee? and the word that was so mild with thee?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
12 Whither doth thy heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes gaze at?
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 That thou shouldst turn against God thy spirit, and utter [such] words 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 that he who is born of woman should be declared 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, in his holy ones he putteth no trust; and the heavens are not pure in his eyes:
Look, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 How much more then the abominable and corrupt, the man who drinketh like water wrong-doing?
how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water.
17 I will instruct thee, hear me; and what I have seen will I relate;
"I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare:
18 Which wise men have ever told, and have not concealed, as they obtained it from their fathers;
(Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and into whose midst no stranger ever entered.
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
20 All his days is the wicked plagued with pain, and the number of years which are laid by for the tyrant.
the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears: during peace will the waster come over him.
A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is looked for by the sword.
He doesn't believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread, [saying, ] Where is it? he knoweth that there is ready at his hand the day of darkness.
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 terrify him: they assail him with might, as a king prepared for the battle.
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 Because he had stretched out against God his hand, and strengthened himself against the Almighty;
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against Shaddai;
26 [And] he had run against him, with an [extended] neck, with the thick roundings of his bucklers;
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;
27 Because he had covered his face with his fat, and had made thick folds of fat on his flanks;
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 And he dwelt in abandoned cities, in houses which none inhabited, which were destined to be ruinous heaps.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 [Yet] will he not remain rich, neither will his wealth endure, nor will he attain their perfection on earth.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
30 He will never depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his shoots, and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth.
He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God's mouth shall he go away.
31 Let him that goeth astray not trust in vanity; for vanity will be what he obtaineth thereby.
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall be his reward.
32 Even before his time will it be overfull, and his branches will not be green.
It shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall not be green.
33 He will shake off like the vine his unripe grapes, and cast off like the olive his blossoms.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 For the assembly of hypocrites will remain desolate, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive trouble, and bring forth wrong-doing, and their body prepareth deceit.
They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit."