Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
1 Eliphaz answered:
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Will the wise respond with windy knowledge and fill their belly with the east wind?
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“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3 Will they argue with a word that has no benefit and with unprofitable words?
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Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good?
4 You are truly making religion ineffective and restraining meditation before God.
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But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God.
5 Your mouth multiplies your sins a thousand times; you opt for a clever tongue.
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For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your mouth condemns you, not I; your lips argue against you.
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Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you.
7 Were you born the first Adam, brought forth before the hills?
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“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Did you listen in God's council; is wisdom limited to you?
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Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we don't know; what do you understand that isn't among us?
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What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 Both the graybeard and the aged are with us; those much older than your father.
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Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, older than your father.
11 Are God's comforts not enough for you, a word spoken gently with you?
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Are the comforts of God too small for you, or the word that deals gently with you?
12 Why has your mind seized you, why have your eyes flashed,
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Why does your heart carry you away, and why do your eyes flash,
13 so that you return your breath to God and utter such words from your mouth?
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that you turn your spirit against God and bring such words out of your mouth?
14 What are humans that they might be pure, and those born of woman that they might be innocent?
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What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?
15 If he doesn't trust his holy ones and the heavens aren't pure in his eyes,
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Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;
16 how much less those who are abominable and corrupt, for they drink sin like water.
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how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!
17 Listen to me; I will argue with you; what I've seen, I will declare to you;
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“I will show you; hear me, and what I have seen I will declare
18 what the wise have told and have not concealed from their family,
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(what wise men have told, without hiding it from their fathers,
19 to whom alone the earth was given and no stranger passed in their midst.
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to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them).
20 All the days of the wicked are painful; the number of years reserved for the hateful;
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The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless.
21 a sound of terror pierces their ears; when safe, raiders overtake them.
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Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.
22 They can't count on turning away from darkness; they are destined for a sword.
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He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is marked for the sword.
23 They wander about for bread. "Where is it?" They know that their day of darkness is fixed.
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He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it? ’He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand;
24 Adversity and stress scare them, master them like a king ready to strike;
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distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.
25 for they raise a fist against God and try to overpower the Almighty.
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Because he has stretched out his hand against God and defies the Almighty,
26 They run toward him aggressively, with a massive and strong shield.
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running stubbornly against him with a thickly bossed shield;
27 They cover their face with grease and make their loins gross.
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because he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat upon his waist
28 They lived in ruined cities, unoccupied houses that turn to rubble.
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and has lived in desolate cities, in houses that none should inhabit, which were ready to become heaps of ruins;
29 They won't get rich; their wealth won't last; their property won't extend over the earth.
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he will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the earth;
30 They can't turn away from darkness; a flame will dry out their shoots, and they will be taken away by the wind from his mouth.
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he will not depart from darkness; the flame will dry up his shoots, and by the breath of his mouth he will depart.
31 They shouldn't trust in what has no worth, for their reward will be worthless.
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Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment.
32 Before their branch is formed, before it is green,
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It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not be green.
33 like the vine, they will drop early grapes and cast off their blossoms like the olive.
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He will shake off his unripe grape like the vine, and cast off his blossom like the olive tree.
34 The ruthless gang is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribers.
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For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive toil and give birth to sorrow; their belly establishes deceit.
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They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit. ”
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025