< Job 15 >

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
“Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
3 To reason with a word not useful? And speeches — no profit in them?
Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?
4 Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.
5 For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.
7 The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — and it is not with us?
What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us — Greater than thy father [in] days.
Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side— men much older than your father.
11 Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?
12 What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
13 For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:
as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?
14 What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
16 Also — surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.
how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?
17 I shew thee — hearken to me — And this I have seen and declare:
Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,
18 Which the wise declare — And have not hid — from their fathers.
what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,
19 To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:
to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.
20 'All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
21 A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.
Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
22 He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.
He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
23 He is wandering for bread — 'Where [is] it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.
Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
25 For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
26 He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.
27 For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,
28 And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
29 He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
30 He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!
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 put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.
It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
33 He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
34 For the company of the profane [is] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.
They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”

< Job 15 >