Eliphaz Answers Again

1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

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

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

4Yea, you cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God.

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

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

7Are you the first man that was born? or were you made before the hills?

8Have you heard the council of God? and do you limit wisdom to yourself?

9What know you, that we know not? what understand you, which is not in us?

10With us are both the gray headed and very aged men, much older than your father.

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

12Why does your heart carry you away? and what do your eyes wink at,

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

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

15Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

16How much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinks iniquity like water?

17I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25For he stretches out his hand against God, and strengthens himself against the Almighty.

26He runs stubbornly against him, with his heavily embossed shield.

27Because he covers his face with his fatness, and makes heavy fat on his waist.

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

29He shall not be rich, neither shall his wealth continue, neither shall he overspread the earth with it.

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 not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for futility shall be his reward.

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

33He shall shake off his unripe grapes like the vine, and shall cast off his blossom like the olive.

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

35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their heart prepares deceit.