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 vain 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 with 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 do away with fear, and hinder devotion 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 language 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 brought out 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 secret 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 don’t know? What do you understand, which is not in us?

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

With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder 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, even the word that is gentle toward you?

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

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

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 should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

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

Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;

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

how much less 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 relate,

“I will show you, listen to me; that which 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,

(Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;

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 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 wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

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

A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.

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

He doesn’t believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.

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 abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the 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.

Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

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

Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty;

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

he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;

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

because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.

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 desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.

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 shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on 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 shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God’s mouth shall he 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 emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall 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 shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall 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 shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as 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).

For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

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

They conceive mischief, and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”