Respondens autem Eliphaz Themanites, dixit:

And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said:

Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite:

Numquid sapiens respondebit quasi in ventum loquens, et implebit ardore stomachum suum?

Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat?

This is not a wise man’s way, to answer with windy sophistries, as if thou hadst the sirocco in thy blood,

Arguis verbis eum qui non est æqualis tibi, et loqueris quod tibi non expedit.

Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee.

ill matched for the contest, prating to thy hurt.

Quantum in te est, evacuasti timorem, et tulisti preces coram Deo.

As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God.

Worse, if thou hadst thy way, all reverence should be abolished, all devotion at an end.

Docuit enim iniquitas tua os tuum, et imitaris linguam blasphemantium.

For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers.

Thy tongue takes its instructions from a sinful heart; this is rebel speech.

Condemnabit te os tuum, et non ego: et labia tua respondebunt tibi.

Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee.

No need for me to prove thee a guilty man, thy words prove it; thy own lips arraign thee.

Numquid primus homo tu natus es, et ante colles formatus?

Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?

Tell me, was thine some primeval birth; wast thou made before the hills?

numquid consilium Dei audisti, et inferior te erit ejus sapientia?

Hast thou heard God’s counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?

Hast thou overheard the secrets of God’s council-chamber, that thou thinkest him no match for thee in wisdom?

Quid nosti quod ignoremus? quid intelligis quod nesciamus?

What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not?

What knowledge hast thou but we share it, what discernment greater than ours?

Et senes et antiqui sunt in nobis, multo vetustiores quam patres tui.

There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers.

We too have ancients among us, grey-headed men that have seen more days than any father of thine.

Numquid grande est ut consoletur te Deus? sed verba tua prava hoc prohibent.

Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this.

It should be no great matter for God to comfort thee, if thy untimely speech did not forbid it;

Quid te elevat cor tuum, et quasi magna cogitans attonitos habes oculos?

Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things?

what mean these transports, why does that eye roll so wildly?

Quid tumet contra Deum spiritus tuus, ut proferas de ore tuo hujuscemodi sermones?

Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy mouth?

What pride is this that would cross God himself, moving thee to rash utterance?

Quid est homo ut immaculatus sit, et ut justus appareat natus de muliere?

What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?

It is not in man to live a life all blameless; never son of woman yet found acquittal.

Ecce inter sanctos ejus nemo immutabilis, et cæli non sunt mundi in conspectu ejus.

Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.

Fickle natures God finds among his very angels; the purity of heaven itself does not suffice him;

Quanto magis abominabilis et inutilis homo, qui bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem?

How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water?

what of man, the abominable, the defiled, athirst ever for wrong-doing?

Ostendam tibi: audi me: quod vidi, narrabo tibi.

I will shew thee, hear me: and I will tell thee what I have seen.

Listen, while I tell thee my mind; thou shalt hear what my own eyes have witnessed;

Sapientes confitentur, et non abscondunt patres suos:

Wise men confess and hide not their fathers.

thou shalt hear what wise men have said, making known the tradition of their fathers,

quibus solis data est terra, et non transivit alienus per eos.

To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them.

that dwelt ever in their own land, and held no commerce with strangers.

Cunctis diebus suis impius superbit, et numerus annorum incertus est tyrannidis ejus.

The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.

Proudly though he carry himself all his days, the godless man is on the rack; how long will his tyrannous reign last?

Sonitus terroris semper in auribus illius: et cum pax sit, ille semper insidias suspicatur.

The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason.

All the while, terror whispers in his ear; danger there is none, but he sees plots everywhere.

Non credit quod reverti possit de tenebris ad lucem, circumspectans undique gladium.

He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side.

Treads he by dark ways, he never hopes to see light again, swords here, swords there to threaten him;

Cum se moverit ad quærendum panem, novit quod paratus sit in manu ejus tenebrarum dies.

When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

ventures he out in search of food, he doubts not his last hour is at hand;

Terrebit eum tribulatio, et angustia vallabit eum, sicut regem qui præparatur ad prælium.

Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle.

dangers threaten him, difficulties hedge him round, as though he were a king making ready for battle.

Tetendit enim adversus Deum manum suam, et contra Omnipotentem roboratus est.

For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty.

And all because he chose God for his enemy, matched himself against omnipotence;

Cucurrit adversus eum erecto collo, et pingui cervice armatus est.

He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck.

head high in air he made the onslaught, proud of his strong sinews,

Operuit faciem ejus crassitudo, et de lateribus ejus arvina dependet.

Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides.

like a bull with hanging dewlap and well-covered flanks.

Habitavit in civitatibus desolatis, et in domibus desertis, quæ in tumulos sunt redactæ.

He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps.

Now he is like some plant that grows amid deserted streets, upon houses uninhabited that lie in ruins;

Non ditabitur, nec perseverabit substantia ejus, nec mittet in terra radicem suam.

He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth.

no root shall he strike into the earth, of true wealth or abiding prosperity;

Non recedet de tenebris: ramos ejus arefaciet flamma, et auferetur spiritu oris sui.

He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own mouth.

never leave the shadows, but he is withered up by the heat or carried away by the blast.

Non credet, frustra errore deceptus, quod aliquo pretio redimendus sit.

He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price.

Let no fond hope delude him that he can buy off his doom;

Antequam dies ejus impleantur peribit, et manus ejus arescent.

Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away.

fall he must before his time; withered every branch,

Lædetur quasi vinea in primo flore botrus ejus, et quasi oliva projiciens florem suum.

He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower.

despoiled the vine with clusters yet unripe, shed the olive’s flower.

Congregatio enim hypocritæ sterilis, et ignis devorabit tabernacula eorum qui munera libenter accipiunt.

For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes.

Barren, barren the schemer’s plot; the house of the bribe-taker shall burn about his ears.

Concepit dolorem, et peperit iniquitatem, et uterus ejus præparat dolos.

He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits.

Vainly engendered, borne in the womb, brought forth, their load of misery and infamy and shame.