Job 15
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 Should a wise man answer with arguments of wind, Or fill his bosom with the east wind?
“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself 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 with which he can do no good?
4 Behold, thou makest the fear of God a vain thing, And discouragest prayer before him.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 Yea, thy own mouth proclaimeth thy iniquity, Though thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Thy own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Thy own lips testify against thee.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 Art thou the first man that was born? Wast thou formed before the hills?
“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
8 Hast thou listened in the council of God, And drawn all wisdom to thyself?
Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What dost thou know, that we know not also? What dost thou understand, that is a secret to us?
What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand 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 your 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 you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
12 Why hath thy passion taken possession of thee? And why this winking of thine eyes?
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 For against God hast thou turned thy spirit, And uttered such words from 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 he that is born of woman, that he should be innocent?
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 putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And the heavens are not pure in his sight;
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 Much less, abominable and polluted man, Who drinketh iniquity as water.
how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 Hear me, and I will show thee, And that which I have seen will I declare;
“I will show you, listen to me; 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 by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 To whom alone the land was given, And among whom not a stranger wandered.
to 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 writhes in 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 will come on him.
22 He hath no hope that he shall escape from darkness; He is set apart for the sword.
He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 He wandereth about, seeking bread; He knoweth that a day of darkness is at hand.
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 fill him with dread; They prevail against him like a king ready for the battle.
Distress and anguish make him afraid. 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 has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 And ran against him with outstretched neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
27 Because he covered his face with fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins,
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 And dwelt in desolated cities, In houses which no man inhabiteth, That are ready to become heaps.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, 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 will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on 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 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 “Let not man trust in vanity! he will be deceived; For vanity shall be his recompense.
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 He shall come to his end before his time, And his branch shall not be green.
It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe fruit like the vine, And shed his blossoms like the olive-tree.
He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 The house of the unrighteous shall be famished, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth misery, And their breast deviseth deceit.”
They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
