Job’s intelligence questioned

¹Eliphaz answered:

²Will the wise respond with windy knowledge

and fill their belly with the east wind?

³Will they argue with a word that has no benefit

and with unprofitable words?

⁴You are truly making religion ineffective

and restraining meditation before God.

⁵Your mouth multiplies your sins a thousand times;

you opt for a clever tongue.

⁶Your mouth condemns you, not I;

your lips argue against you.

⁷Were you born the first Adam,

brought forth before the hills?

⁸Did you listen in God’s council;

is wisdom limited to you?

⁹What do you know that we don’t know;

what do you understand that isn’t among us?

¹⁰Both the graybeard and the aged are with us;

those much older than your father.

¹¹Are God’s comforts not enough for you,

a word spoken gently with you?

¹²Why has your mind seized you,

why have your eyes flashed,

¹³so that you return your breath to God

and utter such words from your mouth?

¹⁴What are humans that they might be pure,

and those born of woman that they might be innocent?

¹⁵If he doesn’t trust his holy ones

and the heavens aren’t pure in his eyes,

¹⁶how much less those who are abominable and corrupt,

The wicked’s downfall

¹⁷Listen to me; I will argue with you;

what I’ve seen, I will declare to you;

¹⁸what the wise have told and have not concealed from their family,

¹⁹to whom alone the earth was given

²⁰All the days of the wicked are painful;

the number of years reserved for the hateful;

²¹a sound of terror pierces their ears;[#15.21 Heb lacks]

when safe, raiders overtake them.

²²They can’t count on turning away from darkness;

they are destined for a sword.

²³They wander about for bread. “Where is it?”

They know that their day of darkness is fixed.

²⁴Adversity and stress scare them,

master them like a king ready to strike;

²⁵for they raise a fist against God

²⁶They run toward him aggressively,

with a massive and strong shield.

²⁷They cover their face with grease

and make their loins gross.

²⁸They lived in ruined cities,

unoccupied houses that turn to rubble.

²⁹They won’t get rich; their wealth won’t last;

their property won’t extend over the earth.

³⁰They can’t turn away from darkness;

a flame will dry out their shoots,

³¹They shouldn’t trust in what has no worth,

for their reward will be worthless.

³²Before their branch is formed,

³³like the vine, they will drop early grapes

³⁴The ruthless gang is barren,

³⁵They conceive toil and give birth to sorrow;