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
Louis Segond
15 Éliphaz de Théman prit la parole et dit:
2 Le sage répond-il par un vain savoir? Se gonfle-t-il la poitrine du vent d'orient?
3 Est-ce par d'inutiles propos qu'il se défend? Est-ce par des discours qui ne servent à rien?
4 Toi, tu détruis même la crainte de Dieu, Tu anéantis tout mouvement de piété devant Dieu.
5 Ton iniquité dirige ta bouche, Et tu prends le langage des hommes rusés.
6 Ce n'est pas moi, c'est ta bouche qui te condamne. Ce sont tes lèvres qui déposent contre toi.
7 Es-tu né le premier des hommes? As-tu été enfanté avant les collines?
8 As-tu reçu les confidences de Dieu? As-tu dérobé la sagesse à ton profit?
9 Que sais-tu que nous ne sachions pas? Quelle connaissance as-tu que nous n'ayons pas?
10 Il y a parmi nous des cheveux blancs, des vieillards, Plus riches de jours que ton père.
11 Tiens-tu pour peu de chose les consolations de Dieu, Et les paroles qui doucement se font entendre à toi?...
12 Où ton coeur t'entraîne-t-il, Et que signifie ce roulement de tes yeux?
13 Quoi! c'est contre Dieu que tu tournes ta colère Et que ta bouche exhale de pareils discours!
14 Qu'est-ce que l'homme, pour qu'il soit pur? Celui qui est né de la femme peut-il être juste?
15 Si Dieu n'a pas confiance en ses saints, Si les cieux ne sont pas purs devant lui,
16 Combien moins l'être abominable et pervers, L'homme qui boit l'iniquité comme l'eau!
17 Je vais te parler, écoute-moi! Je raconterai ce que j'ai vu,
18 Ce que les sages ont fait connaître, Ce qu'ils ont révélé, l'ayant appris de leurs pères.
19 A eux seuls appartenait le pays, Et parmi eux nul étranger n'était encore venu.
20 Le méchant passe dans l'angoisse tous les jours de sa vie, Toutes les années qui sont le partage de l'impie.
21 La voix de la terreur retentit à ses oreilles; Au sein de la paix, le dévastateur va fondre sur lui;
22 Il n'espère pas échapper aux ténèbres, Il voit l'épée qui le menace;
23 Il court çà et là pour chercher du pain, Il sait que le jour des ténèbres l'attend.
24 La détresse et l'angoisse l'épouvantent, Elles l'assaillent comme un roi prêt à combattre;
25 Car il a levé la main contre Dieu, Il a bravé le Tout Puissant,
26 Il a eu l'audace de courir à lui Sous le dos épais de ses boucliers.
27 Il avait le visage couvert de graisse, Les flancs chargés d'embonpoint;
28 Et il habite des villes détruites, Des maisons abandonnées, Sur le point de tomber en ruines.
29 Il ne s'enrichira plus, sa fortune ne se relèvera pas, Sa prospérité ne s'étendra plus sur la terre.
30 Il ne pourra se dérober aux ténèbres, La flamme consumera ses rejetons, Et Dieu le fera périr par le souffle de sa bouche.
31 S'il a confiance dans le mal, il se trompe, Car le mal sera sa récompense.
32 Elle arrivera avant le terme de ses jours, Et son rameau ne verdira plus.
33 Il sera comme une vigne dépouillée de ses fruits encore verts, Comme un olivier dont on a fait tomber les fleurs.
34 La maison de l'impie deviendra stérile, Et le feu dévorera la tente de l'homme corrompu.
35 Il conçoit le mal et il enfante le mal, Il mûrit dans son sein des fruits qui le trompent.
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.”
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
