Then answered Eliphaz
the Temanite
, and said
,
Should a wise man utter
vain
knowledge
, and fill
his belly
with the east wind
?
Should he reason with unprofitable
talk
? or with speeches
wherewith he can do no good
?
Yea, thou castest off fear
, and restrainest
prayer
before
God
.
For thy mouth uttereth
thine iniquity
, and thou choosest
the tongue
of the crafty
.
Thine own mouth condemneth
thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips
testify
against thee.
Art thou the first man
that was born
? or wast thou made
before
the hills
?
Hast thou heard the secret
of God
? and dost thou restrain
wisdom
to thyself?
What knowest thou, that we know
not? what understandest
thou, which is not in us?
With us are both the grayheaded 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
? and what do thy eyes
wink at
,
That thou turnest thy spirit
against God
, and lettest such words
go out
of thy mouth
?
What is man, that he should be clean
? and he which is born
of a woman
, that he should be righteous
?
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints
; yea, the heavens
are not clean
in his sight
.
How much more abominable and filthy
is man
, which drinketh
iniquity
like water
?
I will shew thee, hear
me; and that which I have seen
I will declare
;
Which wise men have told
from their fathers
, and have not hid
it :
Unto whom alone the earth was given
, and no stranger
passed
among
them.
The wicked man travaileth
with pain all his days
, and the number
of years
is hidden
to the oppressor
.
A dreadful sound
is in his ears
: in prosperity
the destroyer
shall come
upon him.
He believeth not that he shall return
out of darkness
, and he is waited
for of the sword
.
He wandereth abroad for bread
, saying , Where is it ? he knoweth
that the day
of darkness
is ready
at his hand
.
Trouble and anguish
shall make him afraid
; they shall prevail
against him, as a king
ready
to the battle
.
For he stretcheth out his hand
against God
, and strengtheneth
himself against the Almighty
.
He runneth upon him, even on his neck
, upon the thick
bosses
of his bucklers
:
Because he covereth his face
with his fatness
, and maketh
collops of fat
on his flanks
.
And he dwelleth in desolate
cities
, and in houses
which no man inhabiteth
, which are ready
to become heaps
.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance
continue
, neither shall he prolong
the perfection
thereof upon the earth
.
He shall not depart out of darkness
; the flame
shall dry up
his branches
, and by the breath
of his mouth
shall he go away
.
Let not him that is deceived trust
in vanity
: for vanity
shall be his recompence
.
It shall be accomplished before
his time
, and his branch
shall not be green
.
He shall shake off his unripe grape
as the vine
, and shall cast off
his flower
as the olive
.
For the congregation of hypocrites
shall be desolate
, and fire
shall consume
the tabernacles
of bribery
.
They conceive mischief
, and bring forth
vanity
, and their belly
prepareth
deceit
.