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- Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
- "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind?
- "Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?
- "Indeed, you do away with reverence And hinder meditation before God.
- "For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty.
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- Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
- Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
- Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
- Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
- For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
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- "Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.
- "Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?
- "Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself?
- "What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not?
- "Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father.
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- Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips 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 grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
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- "Are the consolations of God too small for you, Even the word spoken gently with you?
- "Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash,
- That you should turn your spirit against God And allow such words to go out of your mouth?
- "What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
- "Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight;
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- 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.
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- How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water!
- "I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;
- What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,
- To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.
- "The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.
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- How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
- I will shew 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.
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- "Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.
- "He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword.
- "He wanders about for food, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.
- "Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
- Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.
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- 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.
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- "He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.
- "For he has covered his face with his fat And made his thighs heavy with flesh.
- "He has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins.
- "He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground.
- "He will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.
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- 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 collops 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 shall he go away.
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- "Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.
- "It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.
- "He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.
- "For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.
- "They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception."
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- Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
- 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.
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