Job 15

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind?

3 Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?

4 But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.

5 For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.

6 Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.

7 Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?

8 Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?

9 What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?

10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side—men much older than your father.

11 Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?

12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,

13 so that you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?

14 What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,

16 how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?

17 Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,

18 what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,

19 to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.

20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.

21 Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.

22 He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.

23 He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

24 Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.

25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,

26 rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.

27 Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,

28 he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.

29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.

30 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 deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.

32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.

33 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 godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.

35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”

1 ¶ Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

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

4 Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

7 [Art] thou the first man [that] was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

9 What knowest thou, that we know not? [what] understandest thou, which [is] not in us?

10 With us [are] both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

11 [Are] the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,

13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest [such] words go out of thy mouth?

14 What [is] man, that he should be clean? and [he which is] born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

16 How much more abominable and filthy [is] man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

17 ¶ I will shew thee, hear me; and that [which] I have seen I will declare;

18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid [it]:

19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all [his] days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

21 A dreadful sound [is] in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

23 He wandereth abroad for bread, [saying], Where [is it]? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

26 He runneth upon him, [even] on [his] neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

27 Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on [his] flanks.

28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, [and] in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are 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.

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.

31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

34 For the congregation of hypocrites [shall be] desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

1 Then Eliphaz of Theman answered and said:

2 Shall a wise man speak such puffed-up words, and distend his belly with loose talk?

3 Thou hast punished with words that are not good, and thy speech is not profitable.

4 you have abandoned fear and speak too contemptuously before God.

5 For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou hast chosen a wicked tongue.

6 Thy mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: thy lips shall answer thee. Seventh, art thou the first man born? Art thou conceived before all hills?

8 Hast thou heard God's secret counsel? and is wisdom itself less than thou?

9 What knowest thou that we know not? What do you understand that is not with us?;

10 There are gray men and old men among us, which have lived longer than thy fathers.

11 Shall God's consolations be so small before thee? But you still have a secret piece with you. Twelve: What dost thou intend in thy heart? What do you see so proudly?

13 Why dost thou set thy heart against God, to let such words proceed out of thy mouth?

14 What is a man, that he should be clean, and that he should be righteous that is born of woman?

15 Behold, there is none blameless among his saints, neither are the heavens clean before him.

16 How much more a man that is abominable and vile, that drinketh iniquity like water?

17 I will show thee, hear me; and I will tell thee what I have seen,

18 Which the wise men have spoken, and have not hid from their fathers,

19 To whom only the land is given, that no stranger should pass through it.

20 The wicked trembleth all the days of his life: and the number of his years is hid from the tyrant.

21 That which he heareth terrifieth him; and though it be peace, he feareth that the destroyer cometh;

22 Believeth not that he may escape calamity, and always doth take up the sword.

23 He goeth to and fro for bread, and thinketh always that the time of his calamity is at hand.

24 Fear and distress terrify him, and smite him as a king with an army.

25 For he hath stretched forth his hand against God, and hath rebelled against the Almighty.

26 He runneth headlong against him, and fighteth stiffnecked against him.

27 He boasteth himself like a fat belly, and maketh himself fat and fatty.

28 But he shall dwell in desolate cities, where there are no heads, but lie in heaps.

29 He shall not abide rich, neither shall his goods endure, neither shall his fortunes spread abroad.

30 Accident shall not depart from him. The flame shall wither his branches, and by the breath of her mouth shall eat him away.

31 He shall not stand, for he is deceived in his vain conceit, and vain shall be his reward.

32 He shall come to an end when it is rough with him, and his branch shall not green.

33 He shall be cut off as an untimely cluster from the vine, and as an olive tree casteth her blossom.

34 For the assembly of the hypocrite shall be solitary, and the fire shall devour the tabernacles that take gifts.

35 She conceiveth with mischief, and bringeth forth trouble; and her belly bringeth forth evil.