Hiob 15 | New International Reader’s Version

The second speech of Eliphaz

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied, 2 ‘Job, would a wise person answer with a lot of meaningless talk? Would they fill their stomach with the hot east wind? 3 Would they argue with useless words? Would they give worthless speeches? 4 But you even cause others to lose their respect for God. You make it hard for them to be faithful to him. 5 Your sin makes you say evil things. You talk like people who twist the truth. 6 Your own mouth judges you, not mine. Your own lips witness against you. 7 ‘Are you the first man who was ever born? Were you created before the hills? 8 Do you listen in when God speaks with his angels? Do you think you are the only wise person? 9 What do you know that we don’t know? What understanding do you have that we don’t have? 10 People who are old and grey are on our side. And they are even older than your parents! 11 Aren’t God’s words of comfort enough for you? He speaks them to you gently. 12 Why have you let your wild ideas carry you away? Why do your eyes flash with anger? 13 Why do you get so angry with God? Why do words like those pour out of your mouth? 14 ‘Can human beings really be pure? Can those who are born really be right with God? 15 God doesn’t trust his holy angels. Even the heavens aren’t pure in his sight. 16 So he’ll certainly find fault with human beings. After all, they are evil and sinful. They drink up evil as if it were water. 17 ‘Listen to me. I’ll explain things to you. Let me tell you what I’ve seen. 18 I’ll tell you what those who are wise have said. They don’t hide anything they’ve received from their people of long ago. 19 The land was given only to those people. Their wisdom didn’t come from outsiders. And here’s what those who are wise have said. 20 Sinful people always suffer pain. Mean people suffer all their lives. 21 Terrifying sounds fill their ears. When everything seems to be going well, robbers attack them. 22 They lose all hope of escaping the darkness of death. They will certainly be killed by swords. 23 Like vultures, they look around for food. They know that the day they will die is near. 24 Suffering and pain terrify them. Their troubles overpower them, like a king ready to attack his enemies. 25 They shake their fists at God. They boast about themselves and oppose the Mighty One. 26 They boldly charge against him with their thick, strong shields. 27 ‘Their faces are very fat. Their stomachs hang out. 28 They’ll live in towns that have been destroyed. They’ll live in houses where no one else lives. The houses will crumble to pieces. 29 They won’t be rich anymore. Their wealth won’t last. Their property will no longer spread out over the land. 30 They won’t escape the darkness of death. A flame will dry up everything they have. The breath of God will blow them away. 31 Don’t let them fool themselves by trusting in what is worthless. They won’t get anything out of it. 32 Even before they die, they will dry up. No matter what they do, it won’t succeed. 33 They’ll be like vines that are stripped of their unripe grapes. They’ll be like olive trees that drop their flowers. 34 People who are ungodly won’t have any children. Fire will burn up the tents of people who accept money from those who want special favours. 35 Instead of having children, ungodly people create suffering. All they produce is evil. They are full of lies.’

English Standard Version

Eliphaz Accuses: Job Does Not Fear God

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: 2 “Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? 3 Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good? 4 But you are doing away with the fear of God* and hindering meditation before God. 5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. 6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you. 7 “Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills? 8 Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself? 9 What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us? 10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, older than your father. 11 Are the comforts of God too small for you, or the word that deals gently with you? 12 Why does your heart carry you away, and why do your eyes flash, 13 that you turn your spirit against God and bring such words out of your mouth? 14 What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? 15 Behold, God* puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight; 16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water! 17 “I will show you; hear me, and what I have seen I will declare 18 (what wise men have told, without hiding it from their fathers, 19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them). 20 The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless. 21 Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him. 22 He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is marked for the sword. 23 He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand; 24 distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him, like a king ready for battle. 25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God and defies the Almighty, 26 running stubbornly against him with a thickly bossed shield; 27 because he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat upon his waist 28 and has lived in desolate cities, in houses that none should inhabit, which were ready to become heaps of ruins; 29 he will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the earth;* 30 he will not depart from darkness; the flame will dry up his shoots, and by the breath of his mouth he will depart. 31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment. 32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not be green. 33 He will shake off his unripe grape like the vine, and cast off his blossom like the olive tree. 34 For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery. 35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit.”

Hiob 15 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

The second speech of Eliphaz

Eliphaz Accuses: Job Does Not Fear God