1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

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

“Should a wise man answer with learning that is of no worth, 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 argue with talk that will not help, or with words that do no good?

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

For sure you are doing away with the fear of the Lord. You are stopping the quiet worship of God.

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

You show your sin by what you say. You are trying to hide behind your words.

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

Your own mouth says you are guilty, and not I. Your own lips speak against you.

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

“Were you the first man to be 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?

Were you there to hear the secret plans of God? Are you the only one who has wisdom?

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 clear to us?

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

Men whose hair has grown white and those who have lived many years are among us. They are 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 gentle words spoken to you, which give comfort from God, too little for you?

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

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

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 can be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he can be right and good?

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

See, God puts no trust in His holy ones. The heavens are not pure in His eyes.

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

How much less one who is hated and sinful, a man who drinks sin like water!

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

“I will tell you, listen to me. I will make known what I have seen,

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 that they learned from their fathers. They have not hidden anything.

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

These were the ones to whom the land was given, and no stranger 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 sinful man suffers in pain all his days. His years are numbered because of all his sin.

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

Sounds of fear are in his ears. When all seems to be going well, the one who destroys will come 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 be taken away from darkness, and the sword is meant 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 goes to look for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is near.

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

Trouble and pain fill him with fear. They have power over 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,

He has put out his hand against God, and is full of pride against the All-powerful.

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

He rushes in pride against Him with his big battle-covering.

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

His face is fat, and his thighs are 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 has lived in cities that have been laid waste, in houses where no one lives which will be destroyed.

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 no longer be rich, and what he has will not last. His grain will come to nothing.

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 get away from darkness. The fire will dry up his branches, and the breath of God’s mouth will drive him 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 lie to himself and trust in what is empty. For what is empty 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 paid in full while he still lives, 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 be like the vine that drops off its grapes before they are ready. And he will throw off his flower like the olive tree.

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

Those who visit the sinful bring no fruit. And fire destroys the tents of those who do wrong.

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

They give birth to trouble and bring sin. Their minds plan lies.”