English Standard Version

King James Bible

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

2“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

2Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

3Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good?

3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

4But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God.

4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

5For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.

5For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

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

6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

7“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?

7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

8Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?

8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

9What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us?

9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

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

10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

11Are the comforts of God too small for you, or the word that deals gently with you?

11Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

12Why does your heart carry you away, and why do your eyes flash,

12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,

13that you turn your spirit against God and bring such words out of your mouth?

13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

14What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?

14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;

15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

16how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!

16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

17“I will show you; hear me, and what I have seen I will declare

17I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

18(what wise men have told, without hiding it from their fathers,

18Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

19to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them).

19Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

20The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless.

20The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

21Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.

21A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

22He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is marked for the sword.

22He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

23He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand;

23He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

24distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.

24Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

25Because he has stretched out his hand against God and defies the Almighty,

25For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

26running stubbornly against him with a thickly bossed shield;

26He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

27because he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat upon his waist

27Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

28and has lived in desolate cities, in houses that none should inhabit, which were ready to become heaps of ruins;

28And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.

29he will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the earth;

29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

30he will not depart from darkness; the flame will dry up his shoots, and by the breath of his mouth he will depart.

30He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

31Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment.

31Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

32It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not be green.

32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

33He will shake off his unripe grape like the vine, and cast off his blossom like the olive tree.

33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

34For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery.

34For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

35They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit.”

35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.