1 A nd Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

2 D oth a wise man answer vain knowledge? And fill an east wind his belly?

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

3 T o reason with a word not useful? And speeches -- no profit in them?

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

4 Y ea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.

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

5 F or thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.

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

6 T hy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.

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

7 T he first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?

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

8 O f the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?

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

9 W hat hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou -- and it is not with us?

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

10 B oth the gray-headed And the very aged among us -- Greater than thy father days.

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

11 T oo few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word with thee,

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

12 W hat -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high?

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

13 F or thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:

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

14 W hat man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?

“What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

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

“Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight;

16 A lso -- surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.

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

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

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

18 W hich the wise declare -- And have not hid -- from their fathers.

What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,

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

To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.

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

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

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

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

22 H e believeth not to return from darkness, And watched he for the sword.

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

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

“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

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

“Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

25 F or he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.

Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.

26 H e runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.

“He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.

27 F or he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over confidence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“He will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

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

“Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.

32 N ot in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.

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

33 H e shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.

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

34 F or the company of the profane gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.

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

35 T o conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.

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