Job 15
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said:
2 “Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?
Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking wind, and will he fill his stomach with fire?
3 To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?
You rebuke with words he who is not equal to you, and you speak what is not expedient for you,
4 Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation 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 teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.
For your iniquity has mislead your mouth, and you imitate the tongue of blasphemers.
6 Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your 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 born? And were you formed before the heights?
Are you the first man who was born, or were you formed before the hills?
8 Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?
Have you heard the intentions of God, and will his wisdom be inferior to you?
9 What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?
What do you know, about which we are ignorant? What do you understand that we do not know?
10 Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.
There are with us both aged and ancient men, even more senior than your fathers.
11 Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,
Is it so important that God should console you? But your own depraved words prevent this.
12 Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?
Why does your heart exalt you, and why do you gaze with your eyes, as if thinking great things?
13 Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from your mouth:
Why does your spirit stir against God, so as to utter such speeches from your mouth?
14 What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
What is man that he should be immaculate, and that he should appear just, having been born of woman?
15 Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
Behold, among his holy ones not one is immutable, and even the heavens are not pure in his sight.
16 Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.
How much more abominable and useless is the man who drinks as if from the water of iniquity?
17 I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,
I will reveal to you, so listen to me; and I will explain to you what I have seen.
18 Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.
The wise acknowledge, and they do not leave behind, their fathers,
19 To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:
to whom alone the earth has been given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
The impious is arrogant for all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
21 A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.
The sound of terror is always in his ears; and when there is peace, he always suspects treason.
22 He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for 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 is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
When he moves himself to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness has been prepared for his hand.
24 Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
Tribulation will terrify him, and anguish will prevail over him, like a king who is being prepared to go to battle.
25 For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.
For he has extended his hand against God, and he has strengthened himself against the Almighty.
26 He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
He has rushed against him with his throat exposed, and he has been armed with a fat neck.
27 For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.
Thickness has covered his face, and lard hangs down from his sides.
28 And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
He has lived in desolate cities and deserted houses, which have been turned into tombs.
29 He is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on earth.
He will not be enriched, nor will his basic necessities endure, nor will he establish his root in the earth.
30 He does not turn aside from darkness, A flame dries up his tender branch, And he turns aside at the breath of His mouth!
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 Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.
He will not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he could be redeemed at any price.
32 It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.
Before his time is completed, he will pass into ruin and his hands will wither away.
33 He shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an 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 profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed 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 To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”
He has conceived sorrow, and he has brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepares deceit.
