Job 15
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?
“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation before God.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 For your mouth teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your lips testify against you.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against 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 brought out before the hills?
8 Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?
Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?
What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
10 Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.
With us are both the grey-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
11 Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,
Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle towards you?
12 Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from your mouth:
that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of 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 clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.
how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,
“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
18 Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.
(which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed amongst them):
20 All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.
A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
22 He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for the sword.
He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 He is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a 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 Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
27 For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 He is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on earth.
He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on 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 depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
31 Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.
It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
33 He shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an olive.
He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 For the company of the profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed tents of bribery.
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”
They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
