Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God
1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
5For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
11Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
17I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
18Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
19Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
21A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
26He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
28And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
30He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 “Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know, that we don’t know? What do you understand, which is not in us?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 “I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare:
18 (Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
20 the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.
22 He doesn’t believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 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 make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty;
26 he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;
27 because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God’s mouth shall he go away.
31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall be his reward.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel
or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
3 Should he argue with useless words
or speeches that serve no purpose?
4 But you even undermine the fear of God
and hinder meditation before Him.
5 For your iniquity instructs your mouth,
and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you;
your own lips testify against you.
7 Were you the first man ever born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Do you listen in on the council of God
or limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we do not?
What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side—
men much older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God not enough for you,
even words spoken gently to you?
12 Why has your heart carried you away,
and why do your eyes flash, a
13 as you turn your spirit against God
and pour such words from your mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be pure,
or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones,
if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
16 how much less man, who is vile and corrupt,
who drinks injustice like water?
17 Listen to me and I will inform you.
I will describe what I have seen,
18 what was declared by wise men
and was not concealed from their fathers,
19 to whom alone the land was given
when no foreigner passed among them.
20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days;
only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
21 Sounds of terror fill his ears;
in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
22 He despairs of his return from darkness;
he is marked for the sword.
23 He wanders about as food for vultures;
he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him,
overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
25 For he has stretched out his hand against God
and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
26 rushing headlong at Him
with a thick, studded shield.
27 Though his face is covered with fat
and his waistline bulges with flesh,
28 he will dwell in ruined cities,
in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure.
His possessions will not overspread the land.
30 He will not escape from the darkness;
the flame will wither his shoots,
and the breath of God’s mouth
will carry him away.
31 Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness,
for emptiness will be his reward.
32 It will be paid in full before his time,
and his branch will not flourish.
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,
like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren,
and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil;
their womb is pregnant with deceit.”
Footnotes:
12 a Or blink
Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God
1And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --
2Doth a wise man answer with vain knowledge? And fill with an east wind his belly?
3To reason with a word not useful? And speeches -- no profit in them?
4Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
5For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
6Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
7The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
8Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
9What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou -- and it is not with us?
10Both the gray-headed And the very aged are among us -- Greater than thy father in days.
11Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word is with thee,
12What -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high?
13For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:
14What is man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16Also -- surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.
17I shew thee -- hearken to me -- And this I have seen and declare:
18Which the wise declare -- And have not hid -- from their fathers.
19To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:
20'All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21A fearful voice is in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.
22He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched is he for the sword.
23He is wandering for bread -- 'Where is it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.
25For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
26He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
27For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over his confidence.
28And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
29He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
30He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!
31Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
32Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.
33He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
34For the company of the profane is gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
35To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.
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