Job 15

¹But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said

²Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking wind, and will he fill his stomach with fire

³You rebuke with words he who is not equal to you, and you speak what is not expedient for you

⁴to such an extent that, within yourself, you have expelled reverence and have taken away prayers from the presence of God

⁵For your iniquity has mislead your mouth, and you imitate the tongue of blasphemers

⁶Your own mouth will condemn you, not I; and your own lips will answer you

⁷Are you the first man who was born, or were you formed before the hills

⁸Have you heard the intentions of God, and will his wisdom be inferior to you

⁹What do you know, about which we are ignorant? What do you understand that we do not know

¹⁰There are with us both aged and ancient men, even more senior than your fathers

¹¹Is it so important that God should console you? But your own depraved words prevent this

¹²Why does your heart exalt you, and why do you gaze with your eyes, as if thinking great things

¹³Why does your spirit stir against God, so as to utter such speeches from your mouth

¹⁴What is man that he should be immaculate, and that he should appear just, having been born of woman

¹⁵Behold, among his holy ones not one is immutable, and even the heavens are not pure in his sight

¹⁶How much more abominable and useless is the man who drinks as if from the water of iniquity

¹⁷I will reveal to you, so listen to me; and I will explain to you what I have seen

¹⁸The wise acknowledge, and they do not leave behind, their fathers

¹⁹to whom alone the earth has been given, and no stranger passed among them

²⁰The impious is arrogant for all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain

²¹The sound of terror is always in his ears; and when there is peace, he always suspects treason

²²He does not believe that it is possible for him to be turned from darkness into the light, for he sees around him the sword on every side

²³When he moves himself to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness has been prepared for his hand

²⁴Tribulation will terrify him, and anguish will prevail over him, like a king who is being prepared to go to battle

²⁵For he has extended his hand against God, and he has strengthened himself against the Almighty

²⁶He has rushed against him with his throat exposed, and he has been armed with a fat neck

²⁷Thickness has covered his face, and lard hangs down from his sides

²⁸He has lived in desolate cities and deserted houses, which have been turned into tombs

²⁹He will not be enriched, nor will his basic necessities endure, nor will he establish his root in the earth

³⁰He will not withdraw from the darkness; the flame will burn up his branches, and he will be defeated by the breath of his own mouth

³¹He will not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he could be redeemed at any price

³²Before his time is completed, he will pass into ruin and his hands will wither away

³³He will be wounded like a grapevine, when its cluster is in first flower, and like an olive tree that casts off its flower

³⁴For the congregation of the hypocrites is fruitless, and fire will devour the tabernacles of those who love to accept money

³⁵He has conceived sorrow, and he has brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepares deceit