Chapter 15 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
Testify against thee.
Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?
Hast thou heard the secret of God, and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
What knowest thou that we know not?
What understandest thou which is not in us?
With us are both the grey-headed and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
Are the consolations of God small with thee?
Is there any secret thing with thee?
Why doth thine heart carry thee away, and what do thy eyes wink at?
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy
mouth.
What is man, that he should be clean?
And he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints, yea, the heavens are not clean in his
sight.
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
I will show thee, hear me, and that which I have seen I will declare.
Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it?
Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them?
The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is
hidden to the oppressor.
A dreadful sound is in his ears.
In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the
sword.
He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it?
He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid, they shall prevail against him as a king
ready to the battle.
For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the
Almighty.
He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers.
Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh callups of fat on his
flanks.
And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth,
which are ready to become heaps.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he
prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
He shall not depart out of darkness, the flame shall dry up his branches,
and by the breath of his mouth he shall go away.
Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity, for vanity shall be his
recompense.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the
olive.
For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the
tabernacles of bribery.
They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.