< Job 15 >

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Should, a wise man, answer unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?
Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3 Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.
Yes, you cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God.
5 For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.
For your mouth utters your iniquity, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I: yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 The first of mankind, wast thou born? Or, before the hills, wast thou brought forth?
Are you the first man that was born? or were you made before the hills?
8 In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?
Have you heard the secret of God? and do you restrain wisdom to yourself?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not? [What] understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?
What know you, that we know not? what understand you, which is not in us?
10 Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!
With us are both the gray headed and very aged men, much elder than your father.
11 Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?
Are the consolations of God small with you? is there any secret thing with you?
12 How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!
Why does your heart carry you away? and what do your eyes wink at,
13 For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth—out of thy mouth—words!
That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
14 What is a mortal, that he should be pure? or that righteous should be one born of a woman?
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:
Behold, he puts no trust in his saints; yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in—like water—perversity.
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinks iniquity like water?
17 I will tell thee—hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.
I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
18 Which, wise men, tell, and deny not [that which is] from their fathers.
Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
19 To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:
To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 All the days of the lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;
The wicked man travails with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
21 A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, the destroyer cometh upon him;
A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.
22 He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;
He believes not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23 A wanderer, he, for bread, [saying] Where [is it]? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is 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 shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 Because he had stretched out—against GOD—his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;
For he stretches out his hand against God, and strengthens himself against the Almighty.
26 He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;
He runs on him, even on his neck, on the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27 For he had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;
Because he covers his face with his fatness, and makes bulges of fat on his flanks.
28 And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined to become heaps.
And he dwells in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabits, which are ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not be rich, nor shall his substance continue, neither shall their shadow stretch along on the earth;
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof on the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness, his young branch, shall the flame dry up, and he shall depart, by the breath of his own mouth!
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 no one trust in him that—by vanity—is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;
Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompense.
32 Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33 He shall wrong—like a vine—his sour grapes, and shall cast off—as an olive-tree—his blossom.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;
For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
35 Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.
They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepares deceit.

< Job 15 >