| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Eliphaz from Teman responded: | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: |
| 2"Should a wise person respond with knowledge based on wind? Should he fill his stomach with a wind storm from the east? | 2Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill himself with the hot east wind? |
| 3Should he engage in unprofitable argument, or give a speech that benefits no one? | 3Should he argue with useless talk or with words that serve no good purpose? |
| 4Yet you dispense with fear of God and hinder meditations before God. | 4But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him. |
| 5Because your sin dictates your speech, you have chosen the language of the crafty. | 5Your iniquity teaches you what to say, and you choose the language of the crafty. |
| 6Your own mouth is condemning you, not I; your own lips will testify against you." | 6Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips testify against you. |
| 7"Were you the first person to be born? Were you brought forth before the hills were made? | 7Were you the first person ever born, or were you brought forth before the hills? |
| 8Have you listened in on God's secret council? Have you limited wisdom only to yourself? | 8Do you listen in on the council of God, or have a monopoly on wisdom? |
| 9What do you know that we don't know, or that you understand and that isn't clear to us? | 9What do you know that we don't? What do you understand that is not clear to us? |
| 10"We have both the gray-haired and the aged with us, and they are far older than your father. | 10Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us, men older than your father. |
| 11Are God's encouragements inconsequential to you, even a word that has been spoken gently to you? | 11Are God's consolations not enough for you, even the words that deal gently with you? |
| 12Why have your emotions carried you away? And why do your eyes flash | 12Why has your heart misled you, and why do your eyes flash |
| 13that you turn your anger against God and speak words like this? | 13as you turn your anger against God and allow such words to leave your mouth? |
| 14"What is mankind, that he can be blameless? Or does being born of a woman mean he'll be in the right? | 14What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? |
| 15Look, if God doesn't trust his holy ones, if even the heavens aren't pure as he looks at them, | 15If God puts no trust in His holy ones and the heavens are not pure in His sight, |
| 16then how much less is one who is abhorred and corrupted, such as a man who drinks injustice like water?" | 16how much less one who is revolting and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water? |
| 17"I'll tell you what, listen to me! Let me relate what I've seen, | 17Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen, |
| 18which is what wise men have explained, who didn't withhold anything from their ancestors. | 18what was declared by wise men and was not suppressed by their ancestors, |
| 19To them alone was the land given, when no invader passed through their midst. | 19the land was given to them alone when no foreigner passed among them. |
| 20"The wicked person writhes in pain throughout his life, a number of years has been reserved for the ruthless. | 20A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless. |
| 21Terrifying sounds ring in his ears; when times are prosperous, the Destroyer will attack him. | 21Dreadful sounds fill his ears; when he is at peace, a robber attacks him. |
| 22He does not believe he will escape darkness; he is destined for the sword. | 22He doesn't believe he will return from darkness; he is destined for the sword. |
| 23He wanders around for food—where is it? He knows that a time of darkness is near. | 23He wanders about for food, saying, "Where is it?" He knows the day of darkness is at hand. |
| 24Distress and pressure terrify him; they overwhelm him, like a king poised for attack. | 24Trouble and distress terrify him, overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle. |
| 25"For he has raised his fist against God, defying the Almighty. | 25For he has stretched out his hand against God and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty. |
| 26He defiantly ran against him carrying his thick, reinforced shield. | 26He rushes headlong at Him with his thick, studded shields. |
| 27Though he covered his face with fat, and is grossly overweight at the waist, | 27Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with it, |
| 28He will live in devastated towns, in abandoned houses that are about to become heaps of rubble. | 28he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble. |
| 29"He won't become rich and his wealth won't last; he won't expand his holdings to cover the land. | 29He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not increase in the land. |
| 30He won't escape darkness; a flame will wither his shoots; and he'll depart by the breath of God's mouth. | 30He will not escape from the darkness; flames will wither his shoots, and by the breath of God's mouth, he will depart. |
| 31Let him not trust in a worthless speech. He leads only himself astray, for emptiness will be his reward. | 31Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray, for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless. |
| 32This will be accomplished before his time; his branches won't grow luxuriant. | 32It will be accomplished before his time, and his branch will not flourish. |
| 33"He is like a vine that drops its unripe grapes; like an olive tree that loses its blossoms. | 33He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms. |
| 34For the company of the godless is desolation, and fire consumes the tents of those who bribe. | 34For the company of the godless will have no children, and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes. |
| 35For they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb is pregnant with deception." | 35They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb prepares deception. |
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