Job 15

1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

2 Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?

3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

4 Yea, thou doest away with fear, And hinderest devotion before God.

5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

7 Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?

8 Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?

9 What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?

10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much elder than thy father.

11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee, Even the word that is gentle toward thee?

12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes flash,

13 That against God thou turnest thy spirit, And lettest words go out of thy mouth?

14 What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones; Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight:

16 How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!

17 I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:

18 (Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it;

19 Unto whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them):

20 The wicked man travaileth with 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 upon him.

22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword.

23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knoweth 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 hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;

26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;

27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins;

28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, In houses which no man 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, And by the breath of God’s mouth shall he go away.

31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; For vanity shall be his recompense.

32 It shall be accomplished before his time, And 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, And their heart prepareth deceit.

JOB 15

Eliphaz's Second Speech

If You Had Any Sense

1 Eliphaz from Temant said:
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2 Job, if you had any sense,

3 you would stop spreading
all of this hot air.

4 Your words are enough
to make others turn from God
and lead them to doubt.

5 And your sinful, scheming mind
is the source of all you say.

6 I am not here as your judge;
your own words are witnesses
against you.

7 Were you the first human?
Are you older than the hills?

8 Have you ever been present
when God's councilt meets?
Do you alone have wisdom?

9 Do you know and understand
something we don't?

10 We have the benefit of wisdom
older than your father.

11 And you have been offered
comforting words from God.
Isn't this enough?

12 Your emotions are out of control,
making you look fierce;

13 that's why you attack God
with everything you say.

14  t No human is pure and innocent,

15 and neither are angels—
not in the sight of God.
If God doesn't trust his angels,

16 what chance do humans have?
We are so terribly evil
that we thirst for sin.

Just Listen to What I Know

17 Just listen to what I know,
and you will learn

18 wisdom known by others
since ancient times.

19 Those who gained such insights
also gained the land,
and they were not influenced
by foreign teachings.

20 But suffering is in store
each day for those who sin.

21 Even in times of success,
they constantly hear
the threat of doom.

22 Darkness, despair, and death
are their destiny.

23 They scrounge around for food,
all the while dreading
the approaching darkness.

24 They are overcome with despair,
like frightened soldiers facing
a fearsome king in battle.

25 This is because they rebelled
against God All-Powerful

26 and have attacked him
with their weapons.

27 They may be rich and fat,

28 but they will live in the ruins
of deserted towns.

29 Their property and wealth
will shrink and disappear.

30 They won't escape the darkness,
and the blazing breath of God
will set their future aflame.
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31 They have put their trust
in something worthless;
now they will become worthless

32 like a date palm tree
without a leaf.t

33 Or like vineyards or orchards
whose blossoms and unripe fruit
drop to the ground.

34 Yes, the godless and the greedy
will have nothing but flames
feasting on their homes,

35 because they are the parents
of trouble and vicious lies.