Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Eliphaz answered:
1
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 Will the wise respond with windy knowledge and fill their belly with the east wind?
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"Should the wise answer with windy knowledge, and fill themselves with the east wind?
3 Will they argue with a word that has no benefit and with unprofitable words?
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Should they argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which they 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 firstborn of the human race? 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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The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, those 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 consolations 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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so that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go 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 are mortals, that they can be clean? Or those born of woman, that they 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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God puts no trust even in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean 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, one who drinks iniquity 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; listen to me; 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 sages have told, and their ancestors have not hidden,
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 writhe in pain all their 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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Terrifying sounds are in their ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon them.
22 They can't count on turning away from darkness; they are destined for a sword.
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They despair of returning from darkness, and they are destined 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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They wander abroad for bread, saying, "Where is it?' They know that a day of darkness is ready at hand;
24 Adversity and stress scare them, master them like a king ready to strike;
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distress and anguish terrify them; they prevail against them, like a king prepared for battle.
25 for they raise a fist against God and try to overpower the Almighty.
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Because they stretched out their hands against God, and bid defiance to the Almighty,
26 They run toward him aggressively, with a massive and strong shield.
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running stubbornly against him with a thick-bossed shield;
27 They cover their face with grease and make their loins gross.
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because they have covered their faces with their fat, and gathered fat upon their loins,
28 They lived in ruined cities, unoccupied houses that turn to rubble.
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they will live in desolate cities, in houses that no one should inhabit, houses destined 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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they will not be rich, and their wealth will not endure, nor will they strike root in 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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they will not escape from darkness; the flame will dry up their shoots, and their blossom will be swept away by the wind.
31 They shouldn't trust in what has no worth, for their reward will be worthless.
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Let them not trust in emptiness, deceiving themselves; for emptiness will be their recompense.
32 Before their branch is formed, before it is green,
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It will be paid in full before their time, and their 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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They will shake off their unripe grape, like the vine, and cast off their blossoms, 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 mischief and bring forth evil and their heart prepares deceit."
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.