1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

2 “ Should a wise man answer with learning that is of no worth, and fill himself with the east wind?

Doth a wise man answer vain knowledge? And fill an east wind his belly?

3 S hould he argue with talk that will not help, or with words that do no good?

To reason with a word not useful? And speeches -- no profit in them?

4 F or sure you are doing away with the fear of the Lord. You are stopping the quiet worship of God.

Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.

5 Y ou show your sin by what you say. You are trying to hide behind your words.

For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.

6 Y our own mouth says you are guilty, and not I. Your own lips speak against you.

Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.

7 “ Were you the first man to be born? Or were you made before the hills?

The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?

8 W ere you there to hear the secret plans of God? Are you the only one who has wisdom?

Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?

9 W hat do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us?

What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou -- and it is not with us?

10 M en whose hair has grown white and those who have lived many years are among us. They are older than your father.

Both the gray-headed And the very aged among us -- Greater than thy father days.

11 A re the gentle words spoken to you, which give comfort from God, too little for you?

Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word with thee,

12 W hy does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes shine,

What -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high?

13 t hat you turn your spirit against God and let such words go out of your mouth?

For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:

14 W hat is man, that he can be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he can be right and good?

What man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?

15 S ee, God puts no trust in His holy ones. The heavens are not pure in His eyes.

Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.

16 H ow much less one who is hated and sinful, a man who drinks sin like water!

Also -- surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.

17 “ I will tell you, listen to me. I will make known what I have seen,

I shew thee -- hearken to me -- And this I have seen and declare:

18 w hat wise men have told that they learned from their fathers. They have not hidden anything.

Which the wise declare -- And have not hid -- from their fathers.

19 T hese were the ones to whom the land was given, and no stranger passed among them.

To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:

20 T he sinful man suffers in pain all his days. His years are numbered because of all his sin.

`All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.

21 S ounds of fear are in his ears. When all seems to be going well, the one who destroys will come upon him.

A fearful voice in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.

22 H e does not believe that he will be taken away from darkness, and the sword is meant for him.

He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched he for the sword.

23 H e goes to look for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is near.

He is wandering for bread -- `Where it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.

24 T rouble and pain fill him with fear. They have power over him like a king ready for battle.

Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.

25 H e has put out his hand against God, and is full of pride against the All-powerful.

For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.

26 H e rushes in pride against Him with his big battle-covering.

He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.

27 H is face is fat, and his thighs are heavy with fat.

For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over confidence.

28 H e has lived in cities that have been laid waste, in houses where no one lives which will be destroyed.

And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.

29 H e will no longer be rich, and what he has will not last. His grain will come to nothing.

He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.

30 H e will not get away from darkness. The fire will dry up his branches, and the breath of God’s mouth will drive him away.

He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!

31 L et him not lie to himself and trust in what is empty. For what is empty will be his reward.

Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.

32 I t will be paid in full while he still lives, and his branch will not be green.

Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.

33 H e will be like the vine that drops off its grapes before they are ready. And he will throw off his flower like the olive tree.

He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.

34 T hose who visit the sinful bring no fruit. And fire destroys the tents of those who do wrong.

For the company of the profane gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.

35 T hey give birth to trouble and bring sin. Their minds plan lies.”

To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.