| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: |
| 2"Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge, or fill his belly with the east wind? | 2"Would a wise person answer with empty notions or fill their belly with the hot east wind? |
| 3Does he argue with useless talk, with words that have no value in them? | 3Would they argue with useless words, with speeches that have no value? |
| 4But you even break off piety, and hinder meditation before God. | 4But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God. |
| 5Your sin inspires your mouth; you choose the language of the crafty. | 5Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty. |
| 6Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips testify against you. | 6Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips testify against you. |
| 7"Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? | 7"Are you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? |
| 8Do you listen in on God's secret council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? | 8Do you listen in on God's council? Do you have a monopoly on wisdom? |
| 9What do you know that we don't know? What do you understand that we don't understand? | 9What do you know that we do not know? What insights do you have that we do not have? |
| 10The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men far older than your father. | 10The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men even older than your father. |
| 11Are God's consolations too trivial for you; or a word spoken in gentleness to you? | 11Are God's consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you? |
| 12Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, | 12Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, |
| 13when you turn your rage against God and allow such words to escape from your mouth? | 13so that you vent your rage against God and pour out such words from your mouth? |
| 14What is man that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? | 14"What are mortals, that they could be pure, or those born of woman, that they could be righteous? |
| 15If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, | 15If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, |
| 16how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt, who drinks in evil like water! | 16how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt, who drink up evil like water! |
| 17"I will explain to you; listen to me, and what I have seen, I will declare, | 17"Listen to me and I will explain to you; let me tell you what I have seen, |
| 18what wise men declare, hiding nothing, from the tradition of their ancestors, | 18what the wise have declared, hiding nothing received from their ancestors |
| 19to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them. | 19(to whom alone the land was given when no foreigners moved among them): |
| 20All his days the wicked man suffers torment, throughout the number of the years that are stored up for the tyrant. | 20All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him. |
| 21Terrifying sounds fill his ears; in a time of peace marauders attack him. | 21Terrifying sounds fill his ears; when all seems well, marauders attack him. |
| 22He does not expect to escape from darkness; he is marked for the sword; | 22He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness; he is marked for the sword. |
| 23he wanders about--food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand. | 23He wanders about for food like a vulture; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. |
| 24Distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him like a king ready to launch an attack, | 24Distress and anguish fill him with terror; troubles overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack, |
| 25for he stretches out his hand against God, and vaunts himself against the Almighty, | 25because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, |
| 26defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield! | 26defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield. |
| 27Because he covered his face with fat, and made his hips bulge with fat, | 27"Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, |
| 28he lived in ruined towns and in houses where no one lives, where they are ready to crumble into heaps. | 28he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble. |
| 29He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. | 29He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. |
| 30He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth. | 30He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God's mouth will carry him away. |
| 31Let him not trust in what is worthless, deceiving himself; for worthlessness will be his reward. | 31Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return. |
| 32Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish. | 32Before his time he will wither, and his branches will not flourish. |
| 33Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall, and like an olive tree he will shed his blossoms. | 33He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms. |
| 34For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of those who accept bribes. | 34For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes. |
| 35They conceive trouble and bring forth evil; their belly prepares deception." | 35They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit." |
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