Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 “Should a wise man answer with useless knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?
“Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches with which he can do no good?
Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?
4 Indeed, you diminish respect for God; you obstruct devotion to him,
But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.
5 for your iniquity teaches your mouth; you choose to have the tongue of a crafty man.
For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; indeed, your own lips testify against you.
Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.
7 Are you the first man that was born? Were you brought into existence before the hills?
Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also in us?
What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men who are much older than your father.
Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side— men much older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, the words that are gentle toward you?
Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
13 so that you turn your spirit against God and bring out such words from your mouth?
as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?
14 What is man that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15 See, God puts no trust even in his holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
16 how much less clean is one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?
17 I will show you; listen to me; I will announce to you the things I have seen,
Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,
18 the things that wise men have passed down from their fathers, the things that their ancestors did not hide.
what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,
19 These were their ancestors, to whom alone the land was given, and among whom no stranger ever passed.
to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.
20 The wicked man twists in pain all his days, the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor to suffer.
A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears; while he is in prosperity, the destroyer will come upon him.
Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
22 He does not think that he will return out of darkness; the sword waits for him.
He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
23 He goes to various places for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.
Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
25 Because he has reached out with his hand against God and has behaved proudly against the Almighty,
For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
26 this wicked man runs at God with a stiff neck, with a thick shield.
rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.
27 This is true, even though he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat on his loins,
Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,
28 and has lived in desolate cities; in houses which no man inhabits now and which were ready to become heaps.
he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
29 He will not be rich; his wealth will not last and his possessions will not spread over the land.
He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
30 He will not depart out of darkness; a flame will dry up his stalks; at the breath of God's mouth he will go away.
He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
31 Let him not trust in useless things, deceiving himself; for uselessness will be his reward.
Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.
It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
33 He will drop his unripe grapes like a grapevine; he will cast off his flowers like the olive tree.
He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
34 For the company of godless people will be barren; fire will consume their 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 give birth to iniquity; their womb conceives deceit.”
They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”
