^{1 Ref} Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

^{2 Ref} Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?

^{3 Ref} Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

^{4 Ref} Yea, thou doest away with fear, And hinderest devotion before God.

^{5 Ref} For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

^{6 Ref} Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

^{7 Ref} Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?

^{8 Ref} Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?

^{9 Ref} What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?

^{10 Ref} With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much elder than thy father.

^{11 Ref} Are the consolations of God too small for thee, Even the word that is gentle toward thee?

^{12 Ref} Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes flash,

^{13 Ref} That against God thou turnest thy spirit, And lettest words go out of thy mouth?

^{14 Ref} What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

^{15 Ref} Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones; Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight:

^{16 Ref} How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!

^{17 Ref} I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:

^{18 Ref} (Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it;

^{19 Ref} Unto whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them):

^{20 Ref} The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

^{21 Ref} A sound of terrors is in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

^{22 Ref} He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword.

^{23 Ref} He wandereth abroad for bread, `saying', Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

^{24 Ref} Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

^{25 Ref} Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;

^{26 Ref} He runneth upon him with a `stiff' neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;

^{27 Ref} Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins;

^{28 Ref} And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, In houses which no man inhabited, Which were ready to become heaps;

^{29 Ref} He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, Neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.

^{30 Ref} He shall not depart out of darkness; The flame shall dry up his branches, And by the breath of `God's' mouth shall he go away.

^{31 Ref} Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; For vanity shall be his recompense.

^{32 Ref} It shall be accomplished before his time, And his branch shall not be green.

^{33 Ref} He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, And shall cast off his flower as the olive-tree.

^{34 Ref} For the company of the godless shall be barren, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

^{35 Ref} They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, And their heart prepareth deceit.

^{1 Ref} And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

^{2 Ref} Doth a wise man answer `with' vain knowledge? And fill `with' an east wind his belly?

^{3 Ref} To reason with a word not useful? And speeches -- no profit in them?

^{4 Ref} Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.

^{5 Ref} For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.

^{6 Ref} Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.

^{7 Ref} The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?

^{8 Ref} Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?

^{9 Ref} What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou -- and it is not with us?

^{10 Ref} Both the gray-headed And the very aged `are' among us -- Greater than thy father `in' days.

^{11 Ref} Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word `is' with thee,

^{12 Ref} What -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high?

^{13 Ref} For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:

^{14 Ref} What `is' man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?

^{15 Ref} Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.

^{16 Ref} Also -- surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.

^{17 Ref} I shew thee -- hearken to me -- And this I have seen and declare:

^{18 Ref} Which the wise declare -- And have not hid -- from their fathers.

^{19 Ref} To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:

^{20 Ref} `All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.

^{21 Ref} A fearful voice `is' in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.

^{22 Ref} He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched `is' he for the sword.

^{23 Ref} He is wandering for bread -- `Where `is' it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.

^{24 Ref} Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.

^{25 Ref} For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.

^{26 Ref} He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.

^{27 Ref} For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over `his' confidence.

^{28 Ref} And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.

^{29 Ref} He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.

^{30 Ref} 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 Ref} Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.

^{32 Ref} Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.

^{33 Ref} He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.

^{34 Ref} For the company of the profane `is' gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.

^{35 Ref} To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.