Job 15

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 Should, a wise man, answer unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?

“Should a wise man answer with useless knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?

3 Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches with which he can do no good?

4 But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.

Indeed, you diminish respect for God; you obstruct devotion to him,

5 For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.

for your iniquity teaches your mouth; you choose to have the tongue of a crafty man.

6 Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.

Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; indeed, your own 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 that was born? Were you brought into existence before the hills?

8 In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?

Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

9 What knowest thou, that we know not? [What] understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?

What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also in us?

10 Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!

With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men who are much older than your father.

11 Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?

Are the consolations of God too small for you, the words that are gentle toward you?

12 How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!

Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,

13 For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth—out of thy mouth—words!

so that you turn your spirit against God and bring out such 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 should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous?

15 Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:

See, God puts no trust even in his holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in his sight;

16 How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in—like water—perversity.

how much less clean is one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!

17 I will tell thee—hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.

I will show you; listen to me; I will announce to you the things I have seen,

18 Which, wise men, tell, and deny not [that which is] from their fathers.

the things that wise men have passed down from their fathers, the things that their ancestors did not hide.

19 To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:

These were their ancestors, to whom alone the land was given, and among whom no stranger ever passed.

20 All the days of the lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;

The wicked man twists in pain all his days, the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor to suffer.

21 A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, the destroyer cometh upon him;

A sound of terrors is in his ears; while he is in prosperity, the destroyer will come upon him.

22 He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;

He does not think that he will return out of darkness; the sword waits for him.

23 A wanderer, he, for bread, [saying] Where [is it]? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is the day of darkness;

He goes to various places for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is at hand.

24 Distress and anguish shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:

Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.

25 Because he had stretched out—against GOD—his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;

Because he has reached out with his hand against God and has behaved proudly against the Almighty,

26 He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;

this wicked man runs at God with a stiff neck, with a thick shield.

27 For he had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;

This is true, even though he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat on his loins,

28 And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined to become heaps.

and has lived in desolate cities; in houses which no man inhabits now and which were 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 will not be rich; his wealth will not last and his possessions will not spread over the land.

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 will not depart out of darkness; a flame will dry up his stalks; at the breath of God's mouth he will go away.

31 Let no one trust in him that—by vanity—is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;

Let him not trust in useless things, deceiving himself; for uselessness will be his reward.

32 Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;

It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.

33 He shall wrong—like a vine—his sour grapes, and shall cast off—as an olive-tree—his blossom.

He will drop his unripe grapes like a grapevine; he will cast off his flowers like the olive tree.

34 For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;

For the company of godless people will be barren; fire will consume their tents of bribery.

35 Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.

They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb conceives deceit.”