1 T hen answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

2 S hould a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, And fill himself 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 doest away with fear, And hinderest devotion before God.

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

5 F or thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, 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 brought forth 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 counsel of God? And dost thou limit 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 gray-headed and the 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 too small for thee, Even the word that is gentle toward thee?

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

12 W hy doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes flash,

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

13 T hat against God thou turnest thy spirit, And lettest 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 that 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 holy ones; 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 less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that 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 show thee, hear thou 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 ( Which 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 land 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, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

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

21 A sound of terrors 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 D istress and anguish make him afraid; They 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 B ecause he hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly 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 with a stiff neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;

“He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.

27 B ecause he hath covered his face with his fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins;

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

28 A nd he hath dwelt in desolate cities, In houses which no man inhabited, Which were 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 their possessions be extended on 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 God's 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 him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; For vanity shall be his recompense.

“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-tree.

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

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

35 T hey conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, And their heart prepareth deceit.

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