1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,2 Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind,3 Reasoning with unprofitable talk, and with speeches which do no good?4 Yea, thou makest piety of none effect, and restrainest meditation before *God.5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.7 Art thou the first man that was born? and wast thou brought forth before the hills?8 Hast thou listened in the secret council of +God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?9 What knowest thou that we know not? {what} understandest thou which is not in us?10 Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, older than thy father.11 Are the consolations of *God too small for thee? and the word gently spoken to thee?12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?13 That thou turnest thy spirit against *God, and lettest words go out of thy mouth?14 What is man, that he should be pure? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight:16 How much less the abominable and corrupt, -man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!17 I will shew thee, listen to me; and what I have seen I will declare;18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hidden;19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.20 All his days the wicked man is tormented, and numbered years are allotted to the violent.21 The sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer cometh upon him.22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is singled out for the sword.23 He wandereth abroad for bread, -where may it be? 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 for the battle.25 For he hath stretched out his hand against *God, and strengthened himself against the Almighty:26 He runneth against him, with {outstretched} neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers;27 For he hath covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat upon {his} flanks.28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, in houses that no man inhabiteth, which are destined to become heaps.29 He shall not become rich, neither shall his substance continue, and their possessions shall not extend upon the earth.30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches; and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.31 Let him not trust in vanity: he is deceived, for vanity shall be his recompense;32 It shall be complete before his day, and his branch shall not be green.33 He shall shake off his unripe grapes as a vine, and shall cast his flower as an olive.34 For the family of the ungodly shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

1 Toe het lifas, die Temaniet, geantwoord en gesê:2 Sal 'n wyse man met winderige wetenskap antwoord gee en sy buik vul met oostewind --3 deur te pleit met woorde wat nie baat en met beweringe waarmee hy niks uitrig nie?4 Ja, jy breek die Godsvrees af en verstoor die stille oordenking voor die aangesig van God.5 Want jou ongeregtigheid gee onderrig aan jou mond, en jy kies die taal van die listiges.6 Jou eie mond veroordeel jou, en nie ek nie; ja, jou eie lippe getuig teen jou.7 Is jy die eerste as mens gebore en voor die heuwels in die wêreld gebring?8 Het jy in die raad van God afgeluister en die wysheid na jou toe getrek?9 Wat weet jy wat ons nie weet nie? Wat verstaan jy wat in ons nie is nie?10 Ook is daar grys hare, ook bejaardes onder ons, ryker in dae as jou vader.11 Is die vertroostinge van God vir jou te min, en 'n woord met sagtheid jou toegespreek?12 Waarom sleep jou hart jou weg? En waarom flikker jou oë so --13 dat jy jou toorn rig teen God en sulke woorde uit jou mond laat uitgaan?14 Wat is die mens, dat hy rein sou wees? En hy wat uit 'n vrou gebore is, dat hy regverdig sou wees?15 Kyk, in sy heiliges stel Hy geen vertroue nie; ja, die hemele is nie rein in sy oë nie;16 hoeveel minder die afskuwelike en ontaarde, die mens wat onreg drink soos water!17 Ek wil jou inlig, luister na my; en wat ek gesien het, wil ek vertel;18 wat die wyse manne verkondig sonder om iets te verberg, van hulle vaders af oorgelewer;19 aan hulle alleen was die land gegee, en geen vreemdeling het nog onder hulle deurgetrek nie.20 Al sy dae leef die goddelose in angs, ja, al die jare deur wat vir die tiran bepaal is.21 Skrikgeluide is in sy ore; in volle vrede oorval die verwoester hom.22 Hy glo nie dat hy uit die duisternis sal terugkeer nie; en hy is bestemd vir die swaard.23 Hy dwaal rond en soek brood. Waar is dit? Hy weet dat gereed is, ophande, die dag van duisternis.24 Benoudheid en angs verskrik hom; dit oorweldig hom soos 'n koning wat gereed staan vir die aanval,25 omdat hy sy hand uitgesteek het teen God en die Almagtige getrotseer het27 omdat hy sy gesig met sy vet oordek en 'n vetlaag op sy heupe gevorm het,28 en verdelgde stede bewoon het, huise wat nie bewoon moes word nie, wat bestem was om puinhope te bly.29 Hy bly nie ryk en sy vermoë hou nie stand nie, en hulle besitting buig nie soos koringare na die aarde toe nie.30 Hy ontvlug nie die duisternis nie, die vlam laat sy spruit verdroog, en hy vergaan deur die geblaas van die mond van God.31 Laat hom nie vertrou op nietigheid nie -- hy kom bedroë uit! -- want nietigheid sal sy vergelding wees.32 Voor sy tyd word dit vervul, en sy palmtak bly nie meer groen nie.33 Hy skud sy onryp druiwe af soos 'n wingerdstok en gooi sy bloeisel af soos 'n olyfboom.34 Want die bende van die goddelose is onvrugbaar, en vuur verteer die tente van omkopery.35 Hulle is swanger van moeite en baar onheil; en hulle skoot bring bedrog voort.