1 T hen answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

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

“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind?

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

“Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?

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

“Indeed, you do away with reverence And hinder meditation before God.

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

“For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty.

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

“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.

7 A rt thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

“Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?

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

“Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself?

9 W hat knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

“ What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not?

10 W ith us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

“Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father.

11 A re the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

“Are the consolations of God too small for you, Even the word spoken gently with you?

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

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

13 t hat thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

That you should turn your spirit against God And allow such words to go out of your mouth?

14 W hat 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 pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

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

“Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight;

16 H ow much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water! What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life

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

“I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

18 w hich wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,

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

To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.

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

“The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.

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

“ Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.

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

“He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword.

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

“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

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

“Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

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

Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.

26 H e runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

“He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.

27 b ecause he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

“For he has covered his face with his fat And made his thighs heavy with flesh.

28 A nd he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.

“He has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins.

29 H e shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

“He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground.

30 H e 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 escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

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

“Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.

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

“It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.

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

“He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.

34 F or the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

“For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.

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

“They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception.”