Job 15
1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 Should, a wise man, answer unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?
“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 The first of mankind, wast thou born? Or, before the hills, wast thou brought forth?
“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
8 In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?
Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not? [What] understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?
What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
10 Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!
With us are both the grey-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
11 Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle towards you?
12 How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth—out of thy mouth—words!
that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
14 What is a mortal, that he should be pure? or that righteous should be one born of a woman?
What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in—like water—perversity.
how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 I will tell thee—hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.
“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
18 Which, wise men, tell, and deny not [that which is] from their fathers.
(which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed amongst them):
20 All the days of the lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;
the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, the destroyer cometh upon him;
A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
22 He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;
He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 A wanderer, he, for bread, [saying] Where [is it]? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is the day of darkness;
He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Distress and anguish shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 Because he had stretched out—against GOD—his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
27 For he had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined to become heaps.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not be rich, nor shall his substance continue, neither shall their shadow stretch along on the earth;
He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness, his young branch, shall the flame dry up, and he shall depart, by the breath of his own mouth!
He will not depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
31 Let no one trust in him that—by vanity—is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;
It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
33 He shall wrong—like a vine—his sour grapes, and shall cast off—as an olive-tree—his blossom.
He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.
They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
