1 T hen answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 S hould a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
Should a wise man utter such 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 reason with unprofitable talk? Or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Y ea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
Indeed, you are doing away with fear, and you are hindering and diminishing meditation and devotion before God.
5 F or thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue 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; yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 A rt thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
Are you the first man that was born ? Or were you created before the hills?
8 H ast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
Were you present to hear the secret counsel of God? And do you 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 know not? What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?
10 W ith us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged, older than your father by far.
11 A re the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
Are 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?
12 W hy doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
Why does your heart carry you away ? And why do your eyes flash,
13 T hat thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
That you turn your spirit against God and let words go out of your mouth?
14 W hat is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he could be pure and clean? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be right and just?
15 B ehold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
Behold, puts no trust in His holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in His sight—
16 H ow much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
How much less that which is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water?
17 I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will relate,
18 W hich wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
What wise men have not hid but have freely communicated; it was told to them by their fathers,
19 U nto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger intruded or passed among them.
20 T he wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
The wicked man suffers with torment all his days, through all the years that are numbered and laid up for him, the oppressor.
21 A dreadful sound 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 upon him.
22 H e believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
He believes that he will not return out of darkness, and he is waited for by 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 abroad for food, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already close upon him.
24 T rouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish terrify him; they shall prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.
25 F or he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
Because he has stretched out his hand against God and bids defiance and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 H e runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
Running stubbornly against Him with a thickly ornamented shield;
27 B ecause he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
Because he has covered his face with his fat, adding layers of fat on his loins,
28 A nd he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
And has lived in desolate cities and in houses which no man should inhabit, which were destined to become heaps;
29 H e shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
He 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.
30 H e shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
He 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.
31 L et not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
Let him not deceive himself and trust in vanity (emptiness, falseness, and futility), for these shall be his recompense.
32 I t shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
It shall be accomplished and paid in full while he still lives, and his branch shall not be green.
33 H e shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
He shall fail to bring his grapes to maturity on the vine and shall cast off blossoms like the olive tree.
34 F or the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).
35 T hey conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their inmost soul hatches deceit.