1. |
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: -- |
2. |
Doth a wise man answer `with' vain knowledge? And fill `with' an east wind his belly? |
3. |
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches -- no profit in them? |
4. |
Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God. |
5. |
For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile. |
6. |
Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee. |
7. |
The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed? |
8. |
Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom? |
9. |
What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou -- and it is not with us? |
10. |
Both the gray-headed And the very aged `are' among us -- Greater than thy father `in' days. |
11. |
Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word `is' with thee, |
12. |
What -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high? |
13. |
For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth: |
14. |
What `is' man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman? |
15. |
Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes. |
16. |
Also -- surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness. |
17. |
I shew thee -- hearken to me -- And this I have seen and declare: |
18. |
Which the wise declare -- And have not hid -- from their fathers. |
19. |
To 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. |
21. |
A fearful voice `is' in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him. |
22. |
He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched `is' he for the sword. |
23. |
He is wandering for bread -- `Where `is' it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness. |
24. |
Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster. |
25. |
For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty. |
26. |
He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields. |
27. |
For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over `his' confidence. |
28. |
And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps. |
29. |
He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance. |
30. |
He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth! |
31. |
Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence. |
32. |
Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green. |
33. |
He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom. |
34. |
For the company of the profane `is' gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery. |
35. |
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit. |