New King James 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 empty knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?

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

3Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or by speeches with which he can do no good?

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

4Yes, you cast off fear, And restrain prayer 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; Yes, 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 made before the hills?

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

8Have you heard the counsel of God? 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 in 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, Much older than your father.

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

11Are the consolations of God too small for you, And the word spoken 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 what do your eyes wink at,

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

13That you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your mouth?

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

14“What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

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

15If God puts no trust in His saints, 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 man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!

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

17“I will tell you, hear me; What I have seen I will declare,

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

18What wise men have told, Not hiding anything received 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 alien passed among them:

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

20The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.

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 comes 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 from darkness, For a sword is waiting for him.

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

23He wanders about 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.

24Trouble and anguish make him afraid; They overpower 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.

25For he stretches out his hand against God, And acts defiantly against the Almighty,

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

26Running stubbornly against Him With his strong, embossed shield.

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

27“Though he has covered his face with his fatness, And made his waist heavy with fat,

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

28He dwells in desolate cities, In houses which no one inhabits, Which are destined to become 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, Nor will his wealth continue, Nor will his possessions overspread 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 out his branches, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

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 futile things, deceiving himself, For futility will be his reward.

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

32It will be accomplished 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 a vine, And cast off his blossom like an 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 hypocrites will be barren, And fire will consume the tents of bribery.

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

35They conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit.”

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

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.