Job 15
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said:
2 Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat?
3 To reason with a word not useful? And speeches — no profit in them?
Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee.
4 Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God.
5 For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers.
6 Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee.
7 The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?
8 Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
Hast thou heard God’s counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?
9 What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — and it is not with us?
What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not?
10 Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us — Greater than thy father [in] days.
There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers.
11 Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this.
12 What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things?
13 For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:
Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy 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 without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?
15 Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.
16 Also — surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.
How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water?
17 I shew thee — hearken to me — And this I have seen and declare:
I will shew thee, hear me: and I will tell thee what I have seen.
18 Which the wise declare — And have not hid — from their fathers.
Wise men confess and hide not their fathers.
19 To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:
To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them.
20 'All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
21 A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.
The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason.
22 He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.
He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side.
23 He is wandering for bread — 'Where [is] it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.
Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle.
25 For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty.
26 He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck.
27 For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides.
28 And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps.
29 He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth.
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 shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own month.
31 Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price.
32 Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.
Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away.
33 He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower.
34 For the company of the profane [is] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes.
35 To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.
He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits.
