Chapter 15

¹And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said: ²Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat? ³Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee. ⁴As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God. ⁵For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers. ⁶Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee. ⁷Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills ? ⁸Hast thou heard God's counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee? ⁹What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not? ¹⁰There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers. ¹¹Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this. ¹²Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things ? ¹³Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy mouth ? ¹⁴What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just? ¹⁵Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight. ¹⁶How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water? ¹⁷I will shew thee, hear me : and I mill tell thee what I have seen. ¹⁸Wise men confess and hide not their fathers. ¹⁹To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them. ²⁰The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain. ²¹The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason. ²²He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side. ²³When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. ²⁴Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle. ²⁵For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty. ²⁶He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck. ²⁷Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides. ²⁸He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps. ²⁹He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth. ³⁰He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own month. ³¹He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price. ³²Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away. ³³He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower. ³⁴For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes. ³⁵He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits.