1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 “ Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind?

Should a wise man utter such windy knowledge and fill himself with the east wind ?

3 “ Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk? Or with speeches with which he can do no good?

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

Indeed, you are doing away with fear, and you are hindering and diminishing meditation and devotion before God.

5 “ For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty.

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

6 “ Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.

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

7 “ Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?

Are you the first man that was born ? Or were you created before the hills?

8 “ Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself?

Were you present to hear the secret counsel of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?

9 “ What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not?

What do you know that we know not? What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?

10 “ Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father.

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

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

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

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

13 T hat you should turn your spirit against God And allow such words to go out of your mouth?

That you turn your spirit against God and let words go out of your mouth?

14 “ What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who 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 “ Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight;

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

16 H ow much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water! What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life

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

17 “ I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will relate,

18 W hat wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,

What wise men have not hid but have freely communicated; it was told to them by their fathers,

19 T o whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.

Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger intruded or passed among them.

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

The wicked man suffers with torment all his days, through all the years that are numbered and laid up for him, the oppressor.

21 “ Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.

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

22 “ He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword.

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

23 “ He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is at 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 “ Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

Distress and anguish terrify him; they shall prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.

25 B ecause he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.

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

26 “ He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.

Running stubbornly against Him with a thickly ornamented shield;

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

Because he has covered his face with his fat, adding layers of fat on his loins,

28 “ He has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins.

And has lived in desolate cities and in houses which no man should inhabit, which were destined to become heaps;

29 “ He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground.

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 “ He will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will 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 “ Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.

Let him not deceive himself and trust in vanity (emptiness, falseness, and futility), for these shall be his recompense.

32 “ It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.

It shall be accomplished and paid in full while he still lives, and his branch shall not be green.

33 “ He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.

He shall fail to bring his grapes to maturity on the vine and shall cast off blossoms like the olive tree.

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

For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).

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

They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their inmost soul hatches deceit.