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 out 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 older 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 will come on him.

22 He doesn’t believe that he will 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 will not be rich, neither will his substance continue,

neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.

30 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 him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself,

for emptiness will be his reward.

32 It will be accomplished before his time.

His branch will not be green.

33 He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine,

and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.

34 For the company of the godless will be barren,

and fire will consume the tents of bribery.

35 They conceive mischief and produce iniquity.

Their heart prepares deceit."

1 Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered, and said,

2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge and fill his belly with the east wind?

3 Should he dispute with useless words and with reasons that are not profitable?

4 Thou dost also cast off fear and undermine prayer before God.

5 For thy mouth has declared thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.

6 Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I; thine own lips shall testify against thee.

7 Wast thou born before Adam? Or wast thou formed before the hills?

8 Hast thou heard the secret of God, that thou dost detain wisdom in thee alone?

9 What dost thou know that we do not? [What] dost thou understand, which [is] not in us?

10 Among us [are] also gray hairs; there are also aged men, much elder than thy father.

11 [Are] the consolations of God in such small esteem with thee? Is there by chance any secret thing concerning thee?

12 Why does thine heart carry thee away, and why do thine eyes blink,

13 that thou dost reply unto God with thy spirit and bring forth such words out of thy mouth?

14 What [is] man that he should be clean and that he that is born of a woman should be justified?

15 Behold, he puts no trust in his saints, and not even the heavens are clean in his sight.

16 How much less the man who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water?

17 Listen to me and I will show thee and declare unto thee that [which] I have seen,

18 that which the wise men have told us of their fathers and have not hid [it],

19 unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

20 The wicked man travails with pain all [his] days, and the number of years is hidden from the violent.

21 Fearful sounds are in his ears; in peace the destroyer shall come upon him.

22 He will not believe that he shall return out of darkness, and he is always watching the sword.

23 He wanders abroad for bread, [saying], Where [is it]? He knows that the day of darkness is prepared for him.

24 Tribulation and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

25 Because he extended his hand against God and strengthens himself against the Almighty,

26 he shall run him through in the neck, upon the thick shoulder pieces of his shields;

27 for he covered his face with his fatness and made collops of fat on [his] flanks;

28 and he dwelt in desolate cities [and] in houses which no one inhabited, which were in heaps.

29 He shall not become rich, nor shall his strength be established, neither shall he extend his beauty upon the earth.

30 He shall not escape from the darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth he shall perish.

31 He shall not be established; in vanity he shall err; therefore, he shall be changed into vanity.

32 He shall be cut off before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

33 He shall shake off his sour grapes as the vine and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

34 For the congregation of the hypocrites shall be made desolate, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

35 They conceive pain and bring forth iniquity, and their belly meditates deceit.: