Job 15
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
“Should a wise man answer with useless knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Should he reason with useless talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yea, you cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God.
Indeed, you diminish respect for God; you obstruct devotion to him,
5 For your mouth utters your iniquity, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
for your iniquity teaches your mouth; you choose to have the tongue of a crafty man.
6 your own mouth condemns you, and not I: yea, your own lips testify against you.
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; indeed, your own lips testify against you.
7 Are you the first man that was born? or were you made before the hills?
Are you the first man that was born? Were you brought into existence before the hills?
8 Have you heard the secret of God? and do you restrain wisdom to yourself?
Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What know you, that we know not? what understand you, which is not in us?
What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also in us?
10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than your father.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men who are much older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God small with you? is there any secret thing with you?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, the words that are gentle toward you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away? and what do your eyes overlook,
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
so that you turn your spirit against God and bring out such words from your mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, he puts no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
See, God puts no trust even in his holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinks iniquity like water?
how much less clean is one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
I will show you; listen to me; I will announce to you the things I have seen,
18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
the things that wise men have passed down from their fathers, the things that their ancestors did not hide.
19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
These were their ancestors, to whom alone the land was given, and among whom no stranger ever passed.
20 The wicked man labors with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
The wicked man twists in pain all his days, the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor to suffer.
21 A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
A sound of terrors is in his ears; while he is in prosperity, the destroyer will come upon him.
22 He believes not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
He does not think that he will return out of darkness; the sword waits for him.
23 He wanders abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
He goes to various places for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.
25 For he stretches out his hand against God, and strengthens himself against the Almighty.
Because he has reached out with his hand against God and has behaved proudly against the Almighty,
26 He runs upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
this wicked man runs at God with a stiff neck, with a thick shield.
27 Because he covers his face with his fatness, and makes fatness on his flanks.
This is true, even though he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat on his loins,
28 And he dwells in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabits, which are ready 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, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon 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; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
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 not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
Let him not trust in useless things, deceiving himself; for uselessness will be his reward.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
He will drop his unripe grapes like a grapevine; he will cast off his flowers like the olive tree.
34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
For the company of godless people will be barren; fire will consume their tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepares deceit.
They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb conceives deceit.”
