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Job 15-16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Job 15-16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Second Series of Speeches
Eliphaz Speaks
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 Does a wise man answer with empty[a] counsel(A)
or fill himself[b] with the hot east wind?
3 Should he argue(B) with useless talk
or with words that serve no good purpose?
4 But you even undermine the fear of God
and hinder meditation before Him.
5 Your iniquity(C) teaches you what to say,
and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I;
your own lips testify against you.(D)
7 Were you the first person ever born,
or were you brought forth before the hills?(E)
8 Do you listen in on the council of God,
or have a monopoly on wisdom?(F)
9 What do you know that we don’t?
What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us,
men older than your father.
11 Are God’s consolations not enough for you,
even the words that deal gently with you?
12 Why has your heart misled you,
and why do your eyes flash
13 as you turn your anger[c] against God
and allow such words to leave your mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be pure,(G)
or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones(H)
and the heavens are not pure in His sight,(I)
16 how much less one who is revolting and corrupt,(J)
who drinks injustice(K) like water?
17 Listen to me and I will inform you.
I will describe what I have seen,
18 what was declared by wise men
and was not suppressed by their ancestors,(L)
19 the land was given to them alone
when no foreigner passed among them.
20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days;
only a few[d] years are reserved for the ruthless.
21 Dreadful sounds fill his ears;
when he is at peace, a robber attacks him.
22 He doesn’t believe he will return from darkness;
he is destined for the sword.(M)
23 He wanders about for food, saying, “Where is it?”
He knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Trouble(N) and distress terrify him,
overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle.
25 For he has stretched out his hand(O) against God
and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty.
26 He rushes headlong at Him
with his thick, studded shields.
27 Though his face is covered with fat[e]
and his waistline bulges with it,
28 he will dwell in ruined cities,
in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble.(P)
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure.
His possessions[f] will not increase in the land.
30 He will not escape from the darkness;
flames will wither his shoots,
and by the breath of God’s mouth, he will depart.(Q)
31 Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray,
for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.
32 It will be accomplished before his time,
and his branch will not flourish.
33 He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes(R)
and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
34 For the company of the godless(S) will have no children,
and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes.
35 They conceive trouble(T) and give birth to evil;
their womb(U) prepares deception.(V)
Job’s Reply to Eliphaz
16 Then Job answered:
2 I have heard many things like these.
You are all miserable comforters.(W)
3 Is there no end to your empty[g](X) words?
What provokes you that you continue testifying?
4 If you were in my place I could also talk like you.
I could string words together against you
and shake my head at you.
5 Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth,
and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.(Y)
6 Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved,
and if I hold back, what have I lost?
7 Surely He[h] has now exhausted me.
You have devastated my entire family.
8 You have shriveled me up[i]—it has become a witness;
My frailty rises up against me and testifies to my face.
9 His anger tears at me, and He harasses(Z) me.
He gnashes His teeth at me.
My enemy pierces me with His eyes.
10 They open their mouths against me
and strike my cheeks with contempt;(AA)
they join themselves together against me.
11 God hands me over to unjust men;[j]
He throws me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but He shattered me;
He seized me by the scruff of the neck
and smashed me to pieces.
He set me up as His target;(AB)
13 His archers[k] surround me.
He pierces my kidneys without mercy
and pours my bile on the ground.
14 He breaks through my defenses again and again;[l]
He charges at me like a warrior.(AC)
15 I have sewn sackcloth over my skin;
I have buried my strength[m] in the dust.(AD)
16 My face has grown red with weeping,
and darkness(AE) covers my eyes,
17 although my hands are free from violence(AF)
and my prayer is pure.
18 Earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry for help find no resting place.(AG)
19 Even now my witness is in heaven,
and my advocate is in the heights!(AH)
20 My friends scoff at me
as I weep before God.
21 I wish that someone might arbitrate
between a man and God(AI)
just as a man pleads for his friend.
22 For only a few years will pass
before I go the way of no return.
Footnotes
- Job 15:2 Lit windy; Jb 16:3
- Job 15:2 Lit his belly
- Job 15:13 Or spirit
- Job 15:20 Lit the number of
- Job 15:27 Lit with his fat
- Job 15:29 Text emended; MT reads their gain
- Job 16:3 Lit windy; Jb 15:2
- Job 16:7 Or it
- Job 16:8 Or have seized me; Hb obscure
- Job 16:11 LXX, Vg; MT reads to a boy
- Job 16:13 Or arrows
- Job 16:14 Lit through me, breach on breach
- Job 16:15 Lit horn
Job 15-16
New International Version
Job 15-16
New International Version
Eliphaz
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:
2 “Would a wise person answer with empty notions
or fill their belly with the hot east wind?(B)
3 Would they argue with useless words,
with speeches that have no value?(C)
4 But you even undermine piety
and hinder devotion to God.(D)
5 Your sin(E) prompts your mouth;(F)
you adopt the tongue of the crafty.(G)
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
your own lips testify against you.(H)
7 “Are you the first man ever born?(I)
Were you brought forth before the hills?(J)
8 Do you listen in on God’s council?(K)
Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?(L)
9 What do you know that we do not know?
What insights do you have that we do not have?(M)
10 The gray-haired and the aged(N) are on our side,
men even older than your father.(O)
11 Are God’s consolations(P) not enough for you,
words(Q) spoken gently to you?(R)
12 Why has your heart(S) carried you away,
and why do your eyes flash,
13 so that you vent your rage(T) against God
and pour out such words(U) from your mouth?(V)
14 “What are mortals, that they could be pure,
or those born of woman,(W) that they could be righteous?(X)
15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,(Y)
if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,(Z)
16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,(AA)
who drink up evil(AB) like water!(AC)
17 “Listen to me and I will explain to you;
let me tell you what I have seen,(AD)
18 what the wise have declared,
hiding nothing received from their ancestors(AE)
19 (to whom alone the land(AF) was given
when no foreigners moved among them):
20 All his days the wicked man suffers torment,(AG)
the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.(AH)
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;(AI)
when all seems well, marauders attack him.(AJ)
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;(AK)
he is marked for the sword.(AL)
23 He wanders about(AM) for food like a vulture;(AN)
he knows the day of darkness(AO) is at hand.(AP)
24 Distress and anguish(AQ) fill him with terror;(AR)
troubles overwhelm him, like a king(AS) poised to attack,
25 because he shakes his fist(AT) at God
and vaunts himself against the Almighty,(AU)
26 defiantly charging against him
with a thick, strong shield.(AV)
27 “Though his face is covered with fat
and his waist bulges with flesh,(AW)
28 he will inhabit ruined towns
and houses where no one lives,(AX)
houses crumbling to rubble.(AY)
29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,(AZ)
nor will his possessions spread over the land.(BA)
30 He will not escape the darkness;(BB)
a flame(BC) will wither his shoots,(BD)
and the breath of God’s mouth(BE) will carry him away.(BF)
31 Let him not deceive(BG) himself by trusting what is worthless,(BH)
for he will get nothing in return.(BI)
32 Before his time(BJ) he will wither,(BK)
and his branches will not flourish.(BL)
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,(BM)
like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.(BN)
34 For the company of the godless(BO) will be barren,
and fire will consume(BP) the tents of those who love bribes.(BQ)
35 They conceive trouble(BR) and give birth to evil;(BS)
their womb fashions deceit.”
Job
16 Then Job replied:
2 “I have heard many things like these;
you are miserable comforters,(BT) all of you!(BU)
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?(BV)
What ails you that you keep on arguing?(BW)
4 I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head(BX) at you.
5 But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort(BY) from my lips would bring you relief.(BZ)
6 “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
and if I refrain, it does not go away.(CA)
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;(CB)
you have devastated my entire household.(CC)
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
my gauntness(CD) rises up and testifies against me.(CE)
9 God assails me and tears(CF) me in his anger(CG)
and gnashes his teeth at me;(CH)
my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.(CI)
10 People open their mouths(CJ) to jeer at me;(CK)
they strike my cheek(CL) in scorn
and unite together against me.(CM)
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.(CN)
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
he seized me by the neck and crushed me.(CO)
He has made me his target;(CP)
13 his archers surround me.(CQ)
Without pity, he pierces(CR) my kidneys
and spills my gall on the ground.
14 Again and again(CS) he bursts upon me;
he rushes at me like a warrior.(CT)
15 “I have sewed sackcloth(CU) over my skin
and buried my brow in the dust.(CV)
16 My face is red with weeping,(CW)
dark shadows ring my eyes;(CX)
17 yet my hands have been free of violence(CY)
and my prayer is pure.(CZ)
18 “Earth, do not cover my blood;(DA)
may my cry(DB) never be laid to rest!(DC)
19 Even now my witness(DD) is in heaven;(DE)
my advocate is on high.(DF)
20 My intercessor(DG) is my friend[a](DH)
as my eyes pour out(DI) tears(DJ) to God;
21 on behalf of a man he pleads(DK) with God
as one pleads for a friend.
22 “Only a few years will pass
before I take the path of no return.(DL)
Footnotes
- Job 16:20 Or My friends treat me with scorn
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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