1 ¶ Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered, and said,

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

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

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

3 S hould he dispute with useless words and with reasons that are not profitable?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

4 T hou dost also cast off fear and undermine prayer before God.

Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

5 F or thy mouth has declared thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.

For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

6 T hine own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I; thine own lips shall testify against thee.

Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

7 W ast thou born before Adam? Or wast thou formed before the hills?

Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

8 H ast thou heard the secret of God, that thou dost detain wisdom in thee alone?

Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

9 W hat dost thou know that we do not? What dost thou understand, which is not in us?

What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

10 A mong us are also gray hairs; there are also aged men, much elder than thy father.

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

11 A re the consolations of God in such small esteem with thee? Is there by chance any secret thing concerning thee?

Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

12 W hy does thine heart carry thee away, and why do thine eyes blink,

Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,

13 t hat thou dost reply unto God with thy spirit and bring forth such words out of thy mouth?

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

14 W hat is man that he should be clean and that he that is born of a woman should be justified?

What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15 B ehold, he puts no trust in his saints, and not even the heavens are clean in his sight.

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

16 H ow much less the man who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water?

How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

17 ¶ Listen to me and I will show thee and declare unto thee that which I have seen,

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

18 t hat which the wise men have told us of their fathers and have not hid it,

which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

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

unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

20 T he wicked man travails with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden from the violent.

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

21 F earful sounds are in his ears; in peace the destroyer shall come upon him.

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

22 H e will not believe that he shall return out of darkness, and he is always watching the sword.

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

23 H e wanders abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness is prepared for him.

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

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

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

25 B ecause he extended his hand against God and strengthens himself against the Almighty,

For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

26 h e shall run him through in the neck, upon the thick shoulder pieces of his shields;

He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

27 f or he covered his face with his fatness and made collops of fat on his flanks;

because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

28 a nd he dwelt in desolate cities and in houses which no one inhabited, which were in heaps.

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

29 H e shall not become rich, nor shall his strength be established, neither shall he extend his beauty upon the earth.

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

30 H e shall not escape from the darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth he shall perish.

He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

31 H e shall not be established; in vanity he shall err; therefore, he shall be changed into vanity.

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

32 H e shall be cut off before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

33 H e shall shake off his sour grapes as the vine and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

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

For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

35 T hey conceive pain and bring forth iniquity, and their belly meditates deceit.

They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.