1. |
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, |
2. |
Should a wise men utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? |
3. |
Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches with which he can do no good? |
4. |
Yes, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. |
5. |
For thy mouth uttereth thy iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. |
6. |
Thy own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yes, thy own lips testify against thee. |
7. |
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? |
8. |
Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain 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 very aged men, much older than thy father. |
11. |
Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? |
12. |
Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, |
13. |
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? |
14. |
What is man, that he should be clean? and he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? |
15. |
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight. |
16. |
How much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water? |
17. |
I will show thee, hear 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. |
To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them. |
20. |
The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. |
21. |
A dreadful sound 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 by 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. |
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. |
25. |
For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. |
26. |
He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers: |
27. |
Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks. |
28. |
And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. |
29. |
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection of it 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 not him that is deceived trust in vanity: 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. |
34. |
For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. |
35. |
They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. |