¶ Then answered Eliphaz¹ the Temanite, and said,

Should a wise man² utter vain knowledge³, and fill⁴ his belly with the east wind?

Should he reason⁵ with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

Yea, thou castest off⁶ fear, and restrainest⁷ prayer⁸ before God.

For thy mouth uttereth⁹ thine iniquity, and thou choosest¹⁰ the tongue of the crafty.

Thine own mouth¹¹ condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own¹² lips testify against thee.

Art thou the first¹³ man that was born? or wast thou¹⁴ made before the hills?

Hast thou heard the secret¹⁵ of God? and dost thou restrain¹⁶ wisdom to thyself?

What knowest¹⁷ thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

¶ With us are both the grayheaded¹⁸ and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

Are the consolations¹⁹ of God small with thee? is there²⁰ any secret thing with thee?

Why doth thine heart²¹ carry thee away? and what do thy eyes²² wink at,

That thou turnest²³ thy spirit against God, and lettest²⁴ such words go out of thy mouth?

What is man²⁵, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

Behold, he putteth²⁶ no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

How much²⁷ more abominable²⁸ and filthy is man, which drinketh²⁹ iniquity like water?

¶ I will shew thee, hear me;³⁰ and that which I have seen I will declare;

Which wise men have told from their³¹ fathers, and have not hid it:

Unto whom³² alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

¶ The wicked man travaileth³³ with pain all his days, and the number³⁴ of years is hidden to the oppressor.

A dreadful sound³⁵ is in his ears: in prosperity³⁶ the destroyer³⁷ shall come upon him.

He believeth not³⁸ that he shall return out of darkness, and he is³⁹ waited for of the sword.

He wandereth⁴⁰ abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day⁴¹ of darkness is ready at his hand.

Trouble and anguish⁴² shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king⁴³ ready to the battle.

For he stretcheth⁴⁴ out his hand against God, and strengtheneth⁴⁵ himself against the Almighty.

He runneth⁴⁶ upon him, even on⁴⁷ his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

Because he covereth⁴⁸ his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

And he dwelleth in desolate⁴⁹ cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready⁵⁰ to become heaps.

He shall not be rich, neither shall⁵¹ his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

¶ He shall not depart⁵² out of darkness; the flame⁵³ shall dry up his branches, and by the breath⁵⁴ of his mouth shall he go away.

Let not him⁵⁵ that is deceived trust⁵⁶ in vanity: for vanity⁵⁷ shall be his recompence.

It shall be accomplished⁵⁸ before his time, and his branch⁵⁹ shall not be green.

He shall shake off⁶⁰ his unripe grape as the vine, and⁶¹ shall cast off his flower as the olive.

For the congregation⁶² of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles⁶³ of bribery.

They conceive⁶⁴ mischief, and bring forth vanity⁶⁵, and their belly prepareth deceit.