15:1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

15:2 Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?
15:2 "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?

15:3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
15:3 "Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?

15:4 Yea, thou doest away with fear, And hinderest devotion before God.
15:4 "Indeed, you do away with reverence, And hinder meditation before God.

15:5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
15:5 "For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty.

15:6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
15:6 "Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.

15:7 Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
15:7 "Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?

15:8 Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?
15:8 "Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself?

15:9 What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?
15:9 "What do you know that we do not know? [What] do you understand that we do not?

15:10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much elder than thy father.
15:10 "Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father.

15:11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee, Even the word that is gentle toward thee?
15:11 "Are the consolations of God too small for you, Even the word [spoken] gently with you?

15:12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes flash,
15:12 "Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash,

15:13 That against God thou turnest thy spirit, And lettest words go out of thy mouth?
15:13 That you should turn your spirit against God, And allow [such] words to go out of your mouth?

15:14 What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15:14 "What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15:15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones; Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight:
15:15 "Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight;

15:16 How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!
15:16 How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water!

15:17 I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:
15:17 "I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

15:18 (Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it;
15:18 What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,

15:19 Unto whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them):
15:19 To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.

15:20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
15:20 "The wicked man writhes in pain all [his] days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.

15:21 A sound of terrors is in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
15:21 "Sounds of terror are in his ears, While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.

15:22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword.
15:22 "He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword.

15:23 He wandereth abroad for bread, (saying), Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
15:23 "He wanders about for food, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

15:24 Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
15:24 "Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

15:25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;
15:25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.

15:26 He runneth upon him with a (stiff) neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
15:26 "He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.

15:27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins;
15:27 "For he has covered his face with his fat, And made his thighs heavy with flesh.

15:28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, In houses which no man inhabited, Which were ready to become heaps;
15:28 "And he has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins.

15:29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, Neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
15:29 "He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground.

15:30 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.
15:30 "He will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

15:31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; For vanity shall be his recompense.
15:31 "Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.

15:32 It shall be accomplished before his time, And his branch shall not be green.
15:32 "It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.

15:33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, And shall cast off his flower as the olive-tree.
15:33 "He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.

15:34 For the company of the godless shall be barren, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
15:34 "For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.

15:35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, And their heart prepareth deceit.
15:35 "They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception."