Job 15
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 Should a wise man answer with arguments of wind, Or fill his bosom with the east wind?
Should a wise man make answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3 Should he argue with speech that helpeth him not, And with words which do not profit him?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4 Behold, thou makest the fear of God a vain thing, And discouragest prayer before him.
Yea, thou doest away with fear, and impairest devotion before God.
5 Yea, thy own mouth proclaimeth thy iniquity, Though thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Thy own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Thy own lips testify against thee.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
7 Art thou the first man that was born? Wast thou formed before the hills?
Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Hast thou listened in the council of God, And drawn all wisdom to thyself?
Dost thou hearken in the council of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9 What dost thou know, that we know not also? What dost thou understand, that is a secret to us?
What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?
10 With us are the aged and hoary-headed; Much older than thy father.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than thy father.
11 Dost thou despise the consolations of God, And words so full of kindness to thee?
Are the consolations of God too small for thee, and the word that dealeth gently with thee?
12 Why hath thy passion taken possession of thee? And why this winking of thine eyes?
Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes wink?
13 For against God hast thou turned thy spirit, And uttered such words from thy mouth.
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth.
14 What is man, that he should be pure, And he that is born of woman, that he should be innocent?
What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, He putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And the heavens are not pure in his sight;
Behold, He putteth no trust in His holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight.
16 Much less, abominable and polluted man, Who drinketh iniquity as water.
How much less one that is abominable and impure, man who drinketh iniquity like water!
17 Hear me, and I will show thee, And that which I have seen will I declare;
I will tell thee, hear thou me; and that which I have seen I will declare —
18 Which the wise men have told, And not kept concealed, as received from their fathers;
Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it;
19 To whom alone the land was given, And among whom not a stranger wandered.
Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 “All his days the wicked man is in pain; Yea, all the years, that are laid up for the oppressor.
The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A fearful sound is in his ears; In peace the destroyer cometh upon him.
A sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 He hath no hope that he shall escape from darkness; He is set apart for the sword.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23 He wandereth about, seeking bread; He knoweth that a day of darkness is at hand.
He wandereth abroad for bread: 'Where is it?' He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Distress and anguish fill him with dread; They prevail against him like a king ready for the battle.
Distress and anguish overwhelm him; they prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 Because he stretched forth his hand against God, And bade defiance to the Almighty,
Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, and behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;
26 And ran against him with outstretched neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers.
27 Because he covered his face with fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins,
Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, and made collops of fat on his loins;
28 And dwelt in desolated cities, In houses which no man inhabiteth, That are ready to become heaps.
And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, in houses which no man would inhabit, which were ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not be rich; his substance shall not endure, And his possessions shall not be extended upon the earth.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their produce bend to the earth.
30 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.
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.
31 “Let not man trust in vanity! he will be deceived; For vanity shall be his recompense.
Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; for vanity shall be his recompense.
32 He shall come to his end before his time, And his branch shall not be green.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be leafy.
33 He shall shake off his unripe fruit like the vine, And shed his blossoms like the olive-tree.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 The house of the unrighteous shall be famished, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
For the company of the godless shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth misery, And their breast deviseth deceit.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
