Chapter 15

Then answered⁴ Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,⁴

Should a wise man utter⁴ vain knowledge, and fill¹⁷ his belly with the east wind?

Should he reason⁵³ with unprofitable ^{5532 4} talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?⁵⁵

Yea, thou castest off⁵⁵ fear, and restrainest⁴ prayer before God.

For thy mouth uttereth¹⁷ thine iniquity, and thou choosest⁴ the tongue of the crafty.

Thine own mouth condemneth⁵⁵ thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify⁴ against thee.

[Art] thou the first ⁷²²³ man [that] was born?¹¹ or wast thou made⁴⁹ before the hills?

Hast thou heard⁴ the secret of God? and dost thou restrain⁴ wisdom to thyself?

What knowest¹ thou, that we know⁴ not? [what] understandest⁴ thou, which [is] not in us?

With us [are] both the grayheaded⁶ and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

[Are] the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

Why doth thine heart carry thee away?⁴ and what do thy eyes wink at,⁴

That thou turnest⁵⁵ thy spirit against God, and lettest [such] words go out⁵² of thy mouth?

What [is] man, that he should be clean?⁴ and [he which is] born⁷ of a woman, that he should be righteous?⁴

Behold, he putteth no trust⁵⁵ in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean¹ in his sight.

How much more abominable¹² and filthy¹² [is] man, which drinketh⁶ iniquity like water?

I will shew¹⁷ thee, hear³ me; and that [which] I have seen¹ I will declare;¹⁷

Which wise men have told⁵⁵ from their fathers, and have not hid¹⁴ [it]:

Unto whom alone the earth was given,⁸ and no stranger⁵ passed¹ among them.

The wicked man travaileth¹¹⁴ with pain all [his] days, and the number of years is hidden⁸ to the oppressor.

A dreadful sound [is] in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer⁶ shall come⁴ upon him.

He believeth⁵⁵ not that he shall return² out of darkness, and he is waited⁷ for of the sword.

He wandereth abroad⁶ for bread, [saying], Where [is it]? he knoweth¹ that the day of darkness is ready¹² at his hand.

Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid;¹⁷ they shall prevail⁴ against him, as a king ready to the battle.

For he stretcheth out¹ his hand against God, and strengtheneth¹⁰¹ himself against the Almighty.

He runneth⁴ upon him, [even] on [his] neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

Because he covereth¹⁴ his face with his fatness, and maketh⁴ collops of fat on [his] flanks.

And he dwelleth⁴ in desolate¹² cities, [and] in houses which no man inhabiteth,⁴ which are ready to become⁹⁸ heaps.

He shall not be rich,⁴ neither shall his substance continue,⁴ neither shall he prolong⁴ the perfection thereof upon the earth.

He shall not depart⁴ out of darkness; the flame shall dry up¹⁷ his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.⁴

Let not him that is deceived⁸ trust⁵⁵ in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

It shall be accomplished¹¹ before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

He shall shake off⁴ his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off⁵⁵ his flower as the olive.

For the congregation of hypocrites [shall be] desolate, and fire shall consume¹ the tabernacles of bribery.

They conceive² mischief, and bring forth² vanity, and their belly prepareth⁵⁵ deceit.