Job 15
Authorized (King James) Version
15 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge,
and fill his belly with the east wind?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk?
or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4 Yea, thou castest off fear,
and restrainest prayer before God.
5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity,
and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I:
yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
7 Art thou the first man that was born?
or wast thou made before the hills?
8 Hast thou heard the secret of God?
and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not?
what understandest thou, which is not in us?
10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men,
much elder than thy father.
11 Are the consolations of God small with thee?
is there any secret thing with thee?
12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away?
and what do thy eyes wink at,
13 that thou turnest thy spirit against God,
and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be clean?
and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints;
yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 How much more abominable and filthy is man,
which drinketh iniquity like water?
17 I will shew thee, hear me;
and that which I have seen I will declare;
18 which wise men have told from their fathers,
and have not hid it:
19 unto whom alone the earth was given,
and no stranger passed among them.
20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days,
and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
21 A dreadful sound is in his ears:
in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness,
and he is waited for of the sword.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it?
he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid;
they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God,
and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
26 He runneth upon him, even on his neck,
upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27 because he covereth his face with his fatness,
and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities,
and in houses which no man inhabiteth,
which are ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue,
neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness;
the flame shall dry up his branches,
and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity:
for vanity shall be his recompence.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time,
and his branch shall not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine,
and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate,
and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity,
and their belly prepareth deceit.
Job 15
New King James Version
Eliphaz Accuses Job of Folly
15 Then (A)Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge,
And fill [a]himself with the east wind?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk,
Or by speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yes, you cast off fear,
And restrain [b]prayer before God.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
And you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 (B)Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 “Are you the first man who was born?
(C)Or were you made before the hills?
8 (D)Have you heard the counsel of God?
Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 (E)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not in us?
10 (F)Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Much older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you,
And the word spoken [c]gently with you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away,
And [d]what do your eyes wink at,
13 That you turn your spirit against God,
And let such words go out of your mouth?
14 “What(G) is man, that he could be pure?
And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
15 (H)If God puts no trust in His saints,
And the heavens are not pure in His sight,
16 (I)How much less man, who is abominable and filthy,
(J)Who drinks iniquity like water!
17 “I will tell you, hear me;
What I have seen I will declare,
18 What wise men have told,
Not hiding anything received (K)from their fathers,
19 To whom alone the [e]land was given,
And (L)no alien passed among them:
20 The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
(M)And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.
21 [f]Dreadful sounds are in his ears;
(N)In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will (O)return from darkness,
For a sword is waiting for him.
23 He (P)wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows (Q)that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Trouble and anguish make him afraid;
They overpower him, like a king ready for [g]battle.
25 For he stretches out his hand against God,
And acts defiantly against the Almighty,
26 Running stubbornly against Him
With his strong, embossed shield.
27 “Though(R) he has covered his face with his fatness,
And made his waist heavy with fat,
28 He dwells in desolate cities,
In houses which no one inhabits,
Which are destined to become ruins.
29 He will not be rich,
Nor will his wealth (S)continue,
Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.
30 He will not depart from darkness;
The flame will dry out his branches,
And (T)by the breath of His mouth he will go away.
31 Let him not (U)trust in futile things, deceiving himself,
For futility will be his reward.
32 It will be accomplished (V)before his time,
And his branch will not be green.
33 He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine,
And cast off his blossom like an olive tree.
34 For the company of hypocrites will be barren,
And fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 (W)They conceive trouble and bring forth futility;
Their womb prepares deceit.”
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
