Job 15
Complete Jewish Bible
15 Then Elifaz the Teimani spoke:
2 “Should a wise man answer with hot-air arguments?
Should he fill up his belly with the hot east wind?
3 Should he reason with useless talk
or make speeches that do him no good?
4 “Why, you are abolishing fear of God
and hindering prayer to him!
5 Your iniquity is teaching you how to speak,
and deceit is your language of choice.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I;
your own lips testify against you.
7 “Were you the firstborn of the human race,
brought forth before the hills?
8 Do you listen in on God’s secrets?
Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we don’t know?
What discernment do you have that we don’t?
10 With us are gray-haired men, old men,
men much older than your father.
11 Are the comfortings of God not enough for you,
or a word that deals gently with you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away,
and why do your eyes flash angrily,
13 so that you turn your spirit against God
and let such words escape your mouth?
14 “What is a human being, that he could be innocent,
someone born from a woman, that he could be righteous?
15 God doesn’t trust even his holy ones;
no, even the heavens are not innocent in his view.
16 How much less one loathesome and corrupt,
a human being, who drinks iniquity like water.
17 “I will tell you — hear me out!
I will recount what I have seen;
18 wise men have told it,
and it wasn’t hidden from their fathers either,
19 to whom alone the land was given —
no foreigner passed among them.
20 “The wicked is in torment all his life,
for all the years allotted to the tyrant.
21 Terrifying sounds are in his ears;
in prosperity, robbers swoop down on him.
22 He despairs of returning from darkness —
he is destined to meet the sword.
23 He wanders and looks for food, which isn’t there.
He knows the day of darkness is ready, at hand.
24 Distress and anguish overwhelm him,
assaulting him like a king about to enter battle.
25 “He raises his hand against God
and boldly defies Shaddai,
26 running against him with head held high
and thickly ornamented shield.
27 “He lets his face grow gross and fat,
and the rest of him bulges with blubber;
28 he lives in abandoned cities,
in houses no one would inhabit,
houses about to become ruins;
29 therefore he will not remain rich,
his wealth will not endure,
his produce will not bend
[the grain stalks] to the earth.
30 “He will not escape from darkness.
The flame will dry up his branches.
By a breath from the mouth of [God],
he will go away.
31 Let him not rely on futile methods,
thereby deceiving himself;
for what he will receive in exchange
will be only futility.
32 This will be accomplished in advance of its day.
His palm frond will not be fresh and green;
33 he will be like a vine that sheds its unripe grapes,
like an olive tree that drops its flowers.
34 “For the community of the ungodly is sterile;
fire consumes the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil;
their womb prepares deceit.”
Job 15
Christian Standard Bible
Second Series of Speeches
Eliphaz Speaks
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 Does a wise man answer with empty[a] counsel(A)
or fill himself[b] with the hot east wind?
3 Should he argue(B) with useless talk
or with words that serve no good purpose?
4 But you even undermine the fear of God
and hinder meditation before him.
5 Your iniquity(C) teaches you what to say,
and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I;
your own lips testify against you.(D)
7 Were you the first human ever born,
or were you brought forth before the hills?(E)
8 Do you listen in on the council of God,
or have a monopoly on wisdom?(F)
9 What do you know that we don’t?
What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us—
older than your father.
11 Are God’s consolations not enough for you,
even the words that deal gently with you?
12 Why has your heart misled you,
and why do your eyes flash
13 as you turn your anger[c] against God
and allow such words to leave your mouth?
14 What is a mere human, that he should be pure,(G)
or one born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 If God puts no trust in his holy ones(H)
and the heavens are not pure in his sight,(I)
16 how much less one who is revolting and corrupt,(J)
who drinks injustice(K) like water?
17 Listen to me and I will inform you.
I will describe what I have seen,
18 what the wise have declared and not concealed,
that came from their ancestors,(L)
19 to whom alone the land was given
when no foreigner passed among them.
20 A wicked person writhes in pain all his days,
throughout the number of years reserved for the ruthless.
21 Dreadful sounds fill his ears;
when he is at peace, a robber attacks him.
22 He doesn’t believe he will return from darkness;
he is destined for the sword.(M)
23 He wanders about for food, asking, “Where is it?”
He knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Trouble(N) and distress terrify him,
overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle.
25 For he has stretched out his hand(O) against God
and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty.
26 He rushes headlong at him
with his thick, studded shields.
27 Though his face is covered with fat[d]
and his waistline bulges with it,
28 he will dwell in ruined cities,
in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble.(P)
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure.
His possessions[e] will not increase in the land.
30 He will not escape from the darkness;
flames will wither his shoots,
and by the breath of God’s mouth, he will depart.(Q)
31 Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray,
for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.
32 It will be accomplished before his time,
and his branch will not flourish.
33 He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes(R)
and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
34 For the company of the godless(S) will have no children,
and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes.
35 They conceive trouble(T) and give birth to evil;
their womb(U) prepares deception.(V)
約 伯 記 15
Chinese Union Version (Traditional)
15 提 幔 人 以 利 法 回 答 說 ：
2 智 慧 人 豈 可 用 虛 空 的 知 識 回 答 ， 用 東 風 充 滿 肚 腹 呢 ？
3 他 豈 可 用 無 益 的 話 和 無 濟 於 事 的 言 語 理 論 呢 ？
4 你 是 廢 棄 敬 畏 的 意 ， 在 神 面 前 阻 止 敬 虔 的 心 。
5 你 的 罪 孽 指 教 你 的 口 ； 你 選 用 詭 詐 人 的 舌 頭 。
6 你 自 己 的 口 定 你 有 罪 ， 並 非 是 我 ； 你 自 己 的 嘴 見 證 你 的 不 是 。
7 你 豈 是 頭 一 個 被 生 的 人 麼 ？ 你 受 造 在 諸 山 之 先 麼 ？
8 你 曾 聽 見 神 的 密 旨 麼 ？ 你 還 將 智 慧 獨 自 得 盡 麼 ？
9 你 知 道 甚 麼 是 我 們 不 知 道 的 呢 ？ 你 明 白 甚 麼 是 我 們 不 明 白 的 呢 ？
10 我 們 這 裡 有 白 髮 的 和 年 紀 老 邁 的 ， 比 你 父 親 還 老 。
11 神 用 溫 和 的 話 安 慰 你 ， 你 以 為 太 小 麼 ？
12 你 的 心 為 何 將 你 逼 去 ？ 你 的 眼 為 何 冒 出 火 星 ，
13 使 你 的 靈 反 對 神 ， 也 任 你 的 口 發 這 言 語 ？
14 人 是 甚 麼 ， 竟 算 為 潔 淨 呢 ？ 婦 人 所 生 的 是 甚 麼 ， 竟 算 為 義 呢 ？
15 神 不 信 靠 他 的 眾 聖 者 ； 在 他 眼 前 ， 天 也 不 潔 淨 ，
16 何 況 那 污 穢 可 憎 、 喝 罪 孽 如 水 的 世 人 呢 ！
17 我 指 示 你 ， 你 要 聽 ； 我 要 述 說 所 看 見 的 ，
18 就 是 智 慧 人 從 列 祖 所 受 ， 傳 說 而 不 隱 瞞 的 。
19 （ 這 地 惟 獨 賜 給 他 們 ， 並 沒 有 外 人 從 他 們 中 間 經 過 。 ）
20 惡 人 一 生 之 日 劬 勞 痛 苦 ； 強 暴 人 一 生 的 年 數 也 是 如 此 。
21 驚 嚇 的 聲 音 常 在 他 耳 中 ； 在 平 安 時 ， 搶 奪 的 必 臨 到 他 那 裡 。
22 他 不 信 自 己 能 從 黑 暗 中 轉 回 ； 他 被 刀 劍 等 候 。
23 他 漂 流 在 外 求 食 ， 說 ： 哪 裡 有 食 物 呢 ？ 他 知 道 黑 暗 的 日 子 在 他 手 邊 預 備 好 了 。
24 急 難 困 苦 叫 他 害 怕 ， 而 且 勝 了 他 ， 好 像 君 王 預 備 上 陣 一 樣 。
25 他 伸 手 攻 擊 神 ， 以 驕 傲 攻 擊 全 能 者 ，
26 挺 著 頸 項 ， 用 盾 牌 的 厚 凸 面 向 全 能 者 直 闖 ；
27 是 因 他 的 臉 蒙 上 脂 油 ， 腰 積 成 肥 肉 。
28 他 曾 住 在 荒 涼 城 邑 ， 無 人 居 住 、 將 成 亂 堆 的 房 屋 。
29 他 不 得 富 足 ， 財 物 不 得 常 存 ， 產 業 在 地 上 也 不 加 增 。
30 他 不 得 出 離 黑 暗 。 火 燄 要 將 他 的 枝 子 燒 乾 ； 因 神 口 中 的 氣 ， 他 要 滅 亡 （ 原 文 是 走 去 ） 。
31 他 不 用 倚 靠 虛 假 欺 哄 自 己 ， 因 虛 假 必 成 為 他 的 報 應 。
32 他 的 日 期 未 到 之 先 ， 這 事 必 成 就 ； 他 的 枝 子 不 得 青 綠 。
33 他 必 像 葡 萄 樹 的 葡 萄 ， 未 熟 而 落 ； 又 像 橄 欖 樹 的 花 ， 一 開 而 謝 。
34 原 來 不 敬 虔 之 輩 必 無 生 育 ； 受 賄 賂 之 人 的 帳 棚 必 被 火 燒 。
35 他 們 所 懷 的 是 毒 害 ， 所 生 的 是 罪 孽 ； 心 裡 所 預 備 的 是 詭 詐 。
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.