| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: |
| 2Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill himself with the hot east wind? | 2"Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge, or fill his belly with the east wind? |
| 3Should he argue with useless talk or with words that serve no good purpose? | 3Does he argue with useless talk, with words that have no value in them? |
| 4But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him. | 4But you even break off piety, and hinder meditation before God. |
| 5Your iniquity teaches you what to say, and you choose the language of the crafty. | 5Your sin inspires your mouth; you choose the language of the crafty. |
| 6Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips testify against you. | 6Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips testify against you. |
| 7Were you the first person ever born, or were you brought forth before the hills? | 7"Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? |
| 8Do you listen in on the council of God, or have a monopoly on wisdom? | 8Do you listen in on God's secret council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? |
| 9What do you know that we don't? What do you understand that is not clear to us? | 9What do you know that we don't know? What do you understand that we don't understand? |
| 10Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us, men older than your father. | 10The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men far older than your father. |
| 11Are God's consolations not enough for you, even the words that deal gently with you? | 11Are God's consolations too trivial for you; or a word spoken in gentleness to you? |
| 12Why has your heart misled you, and why do your eyes flash | 12Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, |
| 13as you turn your anger against God and allow such words to leave your mouth? | 13when you turn your rage against God and allow such words to escape from your mouth? |
| 14What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? | 14What is man that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? |
| 15If God puts no trust in His holy ones and the heavens are not pure in His sight, | 15If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, |
| 16how much less one who is revolting and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water? | 16how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt, who drinks in evil like water! |
| 17Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen, | 17"I will explain to you; listen to me, and what I have seen, I will declare, |
| 18what was declared by wise men and was not suppressed by their ancestors, | 18what wise men declare, hiding nothing, from the tradition of their ancestors, |
| 19the land was given to them alone when no foreigner passed among them. | 19to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them. |
| 20A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless. | 20All his days the wicked man suffers torment, throughout the number of the years that are stored up for the tyrant. |
| 21Dreadful sounds fill his ears; when he is at peace, a robber attacks him. | 21Terrifying sounds fill his ears; in a time of peace marauders attack him. |
| 22He doesn't believe he will return from darkness; he is destined for the sword. | 22He does not expect to escape from darkness; he is marked for the sword; |
| 23He wanders about for food, saying, "Where is it?" He knows the day of darkness is at hand. | 23he wanders about--food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand. |
| 24Trouble and distress terrify him, overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle. | 24Distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him like a king ready to launch an attack, |
| 25For he has stretched out his hand against God and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty. | 25for he stretches out his hand against God, and vaunts himself against the Almighty, |
| 26He rushes headlong at Him with his thick, studded shields. | 26defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield! |
| 27Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with it, | 27Because he covered his face with fat, and made his hips bulge with fat, |
| 28he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble. | 28he lived in ruined towns and in houses where no one lives, where they are ready to crumble into heaps. |
| 29He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not increase in the land. | 29He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. |
| 30He will not escape from the darkness; flames will wither his shoots, and by the breath of God's mouth, he will depart. | 30He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth. |
| 31Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray, for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless. | 31Let him not trust in what is worthless, deceiving himself; for worthlessness will be his reward. |
| 32It will be accomplished before his time, and his branch will not flourish. | 32Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish. |
| 33He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms. | 33Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall, and like an olive tree he will shed his blossoms. |
| 34For the company of the godless will have no children, and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes. | 34For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of those who accept bribes. |
| 35They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb prepares deception. | 35They conceive trouble and bring forth evil; their belly prepares deception." |
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