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

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

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

“Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, And fill himself 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 by speeches with which he can do no good?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Much older than your 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 too small for you, And the word spoken gently with you?

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

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

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

That you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your 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 could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

15 B ehold, he puts no trust in his saints, and not even the heavens are 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 the man who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water?

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

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

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

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

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

19 u nto whom alone the earth 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 travails with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden from the violent.

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

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

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

22 H e will not believe that he shall return out of darkness, and he is always watching 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 bread, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness is prepared for him.

He wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it? ’ He knows that a 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 make him afraid; They overpower him, like a king ready for battle.

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

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

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

Running stubbornly against Him With his strong, embossed shield.

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

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

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

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

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

He will not be rich, Nor will his wealth continue, Nor will his possessions overspread 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 will not depart from darkness; The flame will dry out his branches, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

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

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

32 H e shall be cut off before his time, 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 shake off his sour grapes as the vine and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

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

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

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

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

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