Job 15
1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 Should, a wise man, answer unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?
“Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?
3 Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?
4 But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.
Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation before God.
5 For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.
For your mouth teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.
6 Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.
Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your 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 born? And were you formed before the heights?
8 In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?
Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not? [What] understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?
What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?
10 Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!
Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.
11 Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?
Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,
12 How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!
Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?
13 For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth—out of thy mouth—words!
Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from 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 is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15 Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:
Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16 How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in—like water—perversity.
Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.
17 I will tell thee—hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.
I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,
18 Which, wise men, tell, and deny not [that which is] from their fathers.
Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.
19 To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:
To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:
20 All the days of the lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;
All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21 A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, the destroyer cometh upon him;
A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.
22 He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;
He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for 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 is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24 Distress and anguish shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:
Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
25 Because he had stretched out—against GOD—his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;
For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.
26 He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;
He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
27 For he had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;
For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.
28 And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined to become heaps.
And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been 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 is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on 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 does not turn aside from darkness, A flame dries up his tender branch, And he turns aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 Let no one trust in him that—by vanity—is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;
Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.
32 Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;
It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.
33 He shall wrong—like a vine—his sour grapes, and shall cast off—as an olive-tree—his blossom.
He shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an olive.
34 For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;
For the company of the profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed tents of bribery.
35 Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”
