GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 Then Eliphaz from Teman replied [to Job],
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 "Should a wise person answer with endless details and fill his stomach with the east wind?
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"Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?
3 Should he argue with words that don't help, with speeches that don't help [anyone]?
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Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or by speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yes, you destroy the fear [of God] and diminish devotion to God.
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Yes, you cast off fear, And restrain prayer before God.
5 Your sin teaches you what to say. You choose [to talk with] a sly tongue.
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For your iniquity teaches your mouth, And you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your [own] mouth condemns you, not I. Your lips testify against you.
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Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 "Were you the first human to be born? Were you delivered before the hills [existed]?
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"Are you the first man who was born? Or were you made before the hills?
8 Did you listen in on God's council meeting and receive a monopoly on wisdom?
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Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we don't know? What do you understand that we don't?
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What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us?
10 Both the old and the gray-haired are among us. They are older than your father.
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Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Much older than your father.
11 Isn't God's comfort enough for you, even when gently spoken to you?
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Are the consolations of God too small for you, And the word spoken gently with you?
12 Why have your emotions carried you away? Why do your eyes flash
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Why does your heart carry you away, And what do your eyes wink at,
13 when you turn against God and spit these words out of your mouth?
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That you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your mouth?
14 Why should a mortal be considered faultless or someone born of a woman be considered righteous?
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"What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
15 If God doesn't trust his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight,
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If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight,
16 how much less will he trust the one who is disgusting and corrupt, the one who drinks wickedness like water.
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How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!
17 "I'll tell you; listen to me! I'll relate what I have seen.
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"I will tell you, hear me; What I have seen I will declare,
18 I'll tell you what wise people have declared and what was not kept secret from their ancestors.
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What wise men have told, Not hiding anything received from their fathers,
19 (The land was given to them alone, and no stranger passed through their land.)
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To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them:
20 "The wicked person is tortured all his days. Only a few years are reserved for the ruthless person.
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The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.
21 Terrifying sounds are in his ears. While he enjoys peace, the destroyer comes to him.
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Dreadful sounds are in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.
22 He doesn't believe he'll return from the dark. He is destined [to be killed] with a sword.
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He does not believe that he will return from darkness, For a sword is waiting for him.
23 He wanders around for food and asks, 'Where is it?' He knows that his ruin is close at hand.
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He wanders about for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 "The day of darkness troubles him. Distress and anguish terrify him like a king ready for battle.
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Trouble and anguish make him afraid; They overpower him, like a king ready for battle.
25 He stretches out his hand against God and attacks the Almighty like a warrior.
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For he stretches out his hand against God, And acts defiantly against the Almighty,
26 He stubbornly charges at him with a thick shield.
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Running stubbornly against Him With his strong, embossed shield.
27 "His face is bloated with fat, and he is fat around the waist.
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"Though he has covered his face with his fatness, And made his waist heavy with fat,
28 He lives in ruined cities where no one dwells, in houses that are doomed to be piles of rubble.
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He dwells in desolate cities, In houses which no one inhabits, Which are destined to become ruins.
29 He won't get rich, and his wealth won't last. His possessions won't spread out over the land.
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He will not be rich, Nor will his wealth continue, Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.
30 "He won't escape the darkness. A flame will shrivel his branches. He will be blown away by his own breath.
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He will not depart from darkness; The flame will dry out his branches, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.
31 He shouldn't trust in worthless things and deceive himself because he will get worthless things in return.
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Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself, For futility will be his reward.
32 It will happen before his time has come, and his branch will not become green.
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It will be accomplished before his time, And his branch will not be green.
33 He will drop his unripened grapes like a vine and throw off his blossoms like an olive tree
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He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine, And cast off his blossom like an olive tree.
34 because a mob of godless people produces nothing, and fire burns up the tents of those who offer bribes.
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For the company of hypocrites will be barren, And fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil. Their wombs produce deception."
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They conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit."