Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
“Would a wise man answer with such empty ‘knowledge’ that is just a lot of hot air?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
He wouldn't argue with unprofitable speeches using words that do no good.
4 Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
But you are doing away with the fear of God, and destroying communion with him.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
It's your sins that are doing the talking, and you are choosing deceptive words.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
Your own mouth is condemning you, not me; your own lips are testifying against you.
7 “Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
Were you the very first person to be born? Were you born before the hills were created?
8 Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
Were you there listening in God's council? Does wisdom only belong to you?
9 What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
What do you know that we don't? What do you understand that we don't?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
We have among us old, gray-haired people much older than your father!
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
Are the comforts God provides too little for you? Are God's gentle words not enough for you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
Why do you let yourself be carried away by your emotions?
13 that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
Why do your eyes flash in anger that you turn against God and let yourself speak this way?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
Who can say they are clean? Which human being can say that they do what is right?
15 Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
Look, God doesn't even trust his angels—even the heavenly beings are not pure in his sight!
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
How much less pure are those who are unclean and corrupt, drinking in sin like water!
17 “I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
If you are ready to listen to me, I will show you. I will explain my insights.
18 (which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
This is what wise men have said, confirmed by their ancestors,
19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
those who to whom alone the land was given before foreigners ever were there.
20 the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
The wicked writhe in pain all their lives, through all the years these oppressors survive.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
Terrifying sounds fill their ears; even when they think they're safe, the destroyer will attack them.
22 He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
They don't believe they will escape the darkness—they know a sword is waiting for them.
23 He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
They wander around looking for food, asking ‘Where is it?’ They know that their day of darkness is close at hand.
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Misery and torment overwhelm them like a king preparing for battle.
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
They shake their fists in God's face, defiantly challenging the Almighty,
26 he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
insolently attacking him with their shields.
27 because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
They have become fat in their rebellion, their bellies bloated with fat.
28 He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
But their cities will become desolate; they will live in abandoned houses that are crumbling into ruins.
29 He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
They will lose their riches, their wealth will not endure, their possessions will not spread over the earth.
30 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.
They will not escape from the darkness. Like a tree whose shoots are burned up in a forest fire, the breath of God will blow him away.
31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
They should not trust in things that are worthless, for their reward will be worthless.
32 It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
This will be paid in full before their time has come. They are like tree branches that wither,
33 He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
like vines that lose their unripe grapes, or olive trees that lose their flowers.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
For those who reject God are barren, and fire will burn up the homes of those who love bribes.
35 They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
They plan trouble and produce evil, giving birth to deception.”
