Job 15:17-35
New American Standard Bible
What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life
17 “I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;
18 What wise people have told,
And have not concealed from (A)their fathers,
19 To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them.
20 The wicked person writhes (B)in pain all his days,
And the [a]years (C)reserved for the ruthless are numbered.
21 [b]Sounds of (D)terror are in his ears;
(E)While he is at peace the destroyer comes upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will (F)return from darkness,
And he is destined for (G)the sword.
23 He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of (H)darkness is [c]at hand.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
25 Because he has reached out with his hand against God,
And is (I)arrogant toward [d]the Almighty.
26 He rushes [e]headlong at Him
With his [f]massive shield.
27 For he has (J)covered his face with his fat,
And [g]put fat on his waist.
28 He has (K)lived in desolate cities,
In houses no one would inhabit,
Which are destined to become [h]ruins.
29 He (L)will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his property will not stretch out on the earth.
30 He will (M)not [i]escape from darkness;
The (N)flame will dry up his shoot,
And he will go away by (O)the breath of His mouth.
31 Let him not (P)trust in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For his [j]reward will be emptiness.
32 It will be accomplished (Q)before his time,
And his palm (R)branch will not be green.
33 He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine,
And will (S)cast off his flower like the olive tree.
34 For the company of (T)the godless is barren,
And fire consumes (U)the tents of [k]the corrupt.
35 They (V)conceive [l]harm and give birth to wrongdoing,
And their [m]mind prepares deception.”
Footnotes
- Job 15:20 Lit number of years are reserved for
- Job 15:21 Lit A sound of terrors is
- Job 15:23 Lit ready at his hand
- Job 15:25 Heb Shaddai
- Job 15:26 Lit with a stiff neck
- Job 15:26 Lit thick-bossed shields
- Job 15:27 Lit made
- Job 15:28 Or heaps
- Job 15:30 Lit turn aside
- Job 15:31 Lit exchange
- Job 15:34 Lit a bribe
- Job 15:35 Or pain
- Job 15:35 Lit belly
Job 15:17-35
International Standard Version
Eliphaz Describes the Plight of the Wicked
17 “I’ll tell you what, listen to me!
Let me relate what I’ve seen,
18 which is what wise men have explained,
who didn’t withhold anything from their ancestors.
19 To them alone was the land given,
when no invader[a] passed through their midst.
20 “The wicked person writhes in pain throughout his life,
a number of years has been reserved for the ruthless.
21 Terrifying sounds ring[b] in his ears;
when times are prosperous, the Destroyer will attack[c] him.
22 He does not believe he will escape[d] darkness;
he is destined for the sword.
23 He wanders around for food—where is it?
He knows that a time of darkness is near.[e]
24 Distress and pressure terrify him;
they overwhelm him, like a king poised for attack.
25 “For he has raised his fist against God,
defying the Almighty.
26 He defiantly ran against him
carrying his thick, reinforced shield.
27 Though he covered his face with fat,
and is grossly overweight at the waist,
28 He will live in devastated towns,
in abandoned houses
that are about to become heaps of rubble.
29 “He won’t become rich and his wealth won’t last;
he won’t expand his holdings to cover the land.
30 He won’t escape darkness;
a flame will wither his shoots;
and he’ll depart by the breath of God’s[f] mouth.
31 Let him not trust in a worthless speech.
He leads only himself astray,
for emptiness will be his reward.
32 This will be accomplished before his time;[g]
his branches won’t grow luxuriant.
33 “He is like a vine that drops its unripe grapes;
like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.
34 For the company of the godless is desolation,
and fire consumes the tents of those who[h] bribe.
35 For they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity;
their womb is pregnant[i] with deception.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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