Job, 15

¹ Elʹi·phaz the Teʹman·ite said in reply:

² “Will a wise person answer with empty arguments,^*1 Or will he fill his belly with the east wind?

³ Reproving with mere words is useless, And talk alone is of no benefit.

⁴ For you undermine the fear of God, And you diminish any concern for God.

⁵ For your error dictates what you say,^*1 And you choose crafty speech.

⁶ Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Your own lips testify against you.

⁷ Were you the first man ever born, Or was your birth before that of the hills?

⁸ Do you listen to the confidential talk of God, Or do you limit wisdom to yourself?

⁹ What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not?

¹⁰ Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Men much older than your father.

¹¹ Are God’s consolations not enough for you, Or words spoken gently to you?

¹² Why does your heart carry you away, And why do your eyes flash with anger?

¹³ For you turn your spirit against God himself, And you allow such words to go out of your own mouth.

¹⁴ What is mortal man that he should be pure, Or anyone born of a woman that he should be righteous?

¹⁵ Look! He has no faith in his holy ones, And even the heavens are not pure in his eyes.

¹⁶ How much less so when a person is detestable and corrupt, A man who drinks in unrighteousness just like water!

¹⁷ I will inform you; listen to me! I will relate what I have seen,

¹⁸ What wise men have related from their fathers, Things they have not hidden.

¹⁹ To them alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them.

²⁰ A wicked person suffers torment all his days, Throughout all the years reserved for the tyrant.

²¹ Terrifying sounds are in his ears; In a time of peace, marauders attack him.

²² He does not believe that he will escape from darkness; He is reserved for a sword.

²³ He wanders about in search of food^*1—where is it? He well knows that the day of darkness is at hand.

²⁴ Distress and anguish keep terrifying him; They overpower him like a king ready to launch an attack.

²⁵ For he raises his hand against God himself And tries to defy^*1 the Almighty;

²⁶ He stubbornly rushes against Him, With his thick, strong shield;^*1

²⁷ His face is covered with fat, And his hips bulge with fat;

²⁸ He resides in cities that will be brought to ruin, In houses where no one will dwell, Which will become heaps of stones.

²⁹ He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not accumulate, Nor will his possessions spread over the land.

³⁰ He will not escape from darkness; A flame will dry up his twig,^*1 And he will pass away by a blast of God’s^*2 mouth.

³¹ He should not go astray and trust in what is worthless, For what he gets in exchange will be worthless;

³² It will happen before his day, And his branches will never flourish.

³³ He will be like a vine that shakes off its unripe grapes, And like an olive tree that casts off its blossoms.

³⁴ For the assembly of godless ones^*1 is sterile, And fire will consume the tents of bribery.

³⁵ They conceive trouble and give birth to what is wicked, And their womb produces deceit.”