1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2 S hould a wise man utter such windy knowledge and fill himself with the east wind ?

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

3 S hould he reason with unprofitable talk? Or with speeches with which he can do no good?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or by speeches with which he can do no good?

4 I ndeed, you are doing away with fear, and you are hindering and diminishing meditation and devotion before God.

Yes, you cast off fear, And restrain prayer before God.

5 F or your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.

For your iniquity teaches your mouth, And you choose the tongue of the crafty.

6 Y our own mouth condemns you, and not I; yes, your own lips testify against you.

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

7 A re you the first man that was born ? Or were you created before the hills?

“ Are you the first man who was born? Or were you made before the hills?

8 W ere you present to hear the secret counsel of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?

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

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

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

10 A mong us are both the gray-haired and the aged, older than your father by far.

Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Much older than your father.

11 A re God’s consolations too trivial for you? Is there any secret thing (any bosom sin) which you have not given up? were we too gentle toward you to be effective?

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

12 W hy does your heart carry you away ? And why do your eyes flash,

Why does your heart carry you away, And what do your eyes wink at,

13 T hat you turn your spirit against God and let words go out of your mouth?

That you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your mouth?

14 W hat is man, that he could be pure and clean? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be right and just?

“What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

15 B ehold, puts no trust in His holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in His sight—

If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight,

16 H ow much less that which is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water?

How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!

17 I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will relate,

“I will tell you, hear me; What I have seen I will declare,

18 W hat wise men have not hid but have freely communicated; it was told to them by their fathers,

What wise men have told, Not hiding anything received from their fathers,

19 U nto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger intruded or passed among them.

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

20 T he wicked man suffers with torment all his days, through all the years that are numbered and laid up for him, the oppressor.

The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.

21 A sound of terrors is in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

Dreadful sounds are in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.

22 H e believes that he will not return out of darkness, and he is waited for by the sword.

He does not believe that he will return from darkness, For a sword is waiting for him.

23 H e wanders abroad for food, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already close upon him.

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

24 D istress and anguish terrify him; they shall prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.

Trouble and anguish make him afraid; They overpower him, like a king ready for battle.

25 B ecause he has stretched out his hand against God and bids defiance and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,

For he stretches out his hand against God, And acts defiantly against the Almighty,

26 R unning stubbornly against Him with a thickly ornamented shield;

Running stubbornly against Him With his strong, embossed shield.

27 B ecause he has covered his face with his fat, adding layers of fat on his loins,

“Though he has covered his face with his fatness, And made his waist heavy with fat,

28 A nd has lived in desolate cities and in houses which no man should inhabit, which were destined to become heaps;

He dwells in desolate cities, In houses which no one inhabits, Which are destined to become ruins.

29 H e shall not be rich, neither shall his wealth last, neither shall his produce bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.

He will not be rich, Nor will his wealth continue, Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.

30 H e shall not depart out of darkness shall consume him as flame consumes a dry tree, and by the blast of His mouth he shall be swept away.

He will not depart from darkness; The flame will dry out his branches, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

31 L et him not deceive himself and trust in vanity (emptiness, falseness, and futility), for these shall be his recompense.

Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself, For futility will be his reward.

32 I t shall be accomplished and paid in full while he still lives, and his branch shall not be green.

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

33 H e shall fail to bring his grapes to maturity on the vine and shall cast off blossoms like the olive tree.

He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine, And cast off his blossom like an olive tree.

34 F or the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).

For the company of hypocrites will be barren, And fire will consume the tents of bribery.

35 T hey conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their inmost soul hatches deceit.

They conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit.”