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1. Eliphaz of Teman spoke a second time:
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1. Then answered H6030 Eliphaz H464 the Temanite H8489 , and said H559 ,
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2. "If you were truly wise, would you sound so much like a windbag, belching hot air?
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2. Should a wise H2450 man utter H6030 vain H7307 knowledge H1847 , and fill H4390 his belly H990 with the east wind H6921 ?
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3. Would you talk nonsense in the middle of a serious argument, babbling baloney?
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3. Should he reason H3198 with unprofitable H3808 H5532 talk H1697 ? or with speeches H4405 wherewith he can do no H3808 good H3276 ?
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4. Look at you! You trivialize religion, turn spiritual conversation into empty gossip.
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4. Yea H637 , thou H859 castest off H6565 fear H3374 , and restrainest H1639 prayer H7881 before H6440 God H410 .
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5. It's your sin that taught you to talk this way. You chose an education in fraud.
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5. For H3588 thy mouth H6310 uttereth H502 thine iniquity H5771 , and thou choosest H977 the tongue H3956 of the crafty H6175 .
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6. Your own words have exposed your guilt. It's nothing I've said--you've incriminated yourself!
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6. Thine own mouth H6310 condemneth H7561 thee , and not H3808 I H589 : yea , thine own lips H8193 testify H6030 against thee.
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7. Do you think you're the first person to have to deal with these things? Have you been around as long as the hills?
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7. Art thou the first H7223 man H120 that was born H3205 ? or wast thou made H2342 before H6440 the hills H1389 ?
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8. Were you listening in when God planned all this? Do you think you're the only one who knows anything?
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8. Hast thou heard H8085 the secret H5475 of God H433 ? and dost thou restrain H1639 wisdom H2451 to H413 thyself?
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9. What do you know that we don't know? What insights do you have that we've missed?
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9. What H4100 knowest H3045 thou , that we know H3045 not H3808 ? what understandest H995 thou, which H1931 is not H3808 in H5973 us?
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10. Gray beards and white hair back us up-- old folks who've been around a lot longer than you.
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10. With us are both H1571 the grayheaded H7867 and H1571 very aged men H3453 , much elder H3524 H3117 than thy father H4480 H1 .
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11. Are God's promises not enough for you, spoken so gently and tenderly?
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11. Are the consolations H8575 of God H410 small H4592 with H4480 thee? is there any secret H328 thing H1697 with H5973 thee?
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12. Why do you let your emotions take over, lashing out and spitting fire,
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12. Why H4100 doth thine heart H3820 carry thee away H3947 ? and what H4100 do thy eyes H5869 wink at H7335 ,
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13. Pitting your whole being against God by letting words like this come out of your mouth?
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13. That H3588 thou turnest H7725 thy spirit H7307 against H413 God H410 , and lettest such words H4405 go out H3318 of thy mouth H4480 H6310 ?
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14. Do you think it's possible for any mere mortal to be sinless in God's sight, for anyone born of a human mother to get it all together?
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14. What H4100 is man H582 , that H3588 he should be clean H2135 ? and he which is born H3205 of a woman H802 , that H3588 he should be righteous H6663 ?
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15. Why, God can't even trust his holy angels. He sees the flaws in the very heavens themselves,
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15. Behold H2005 , he putteth no trust H539 H3808 in his saints H6918 ; yea , the heavens H8064 are not H3808 clean H2141 in his sight H5869 .
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16. So how much less we humans, smelly and foul, who lap up evil like water?
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16. How much more H637 H3588 abominable H8581 and filthy H444 is man H376 , which drinketh H8354 iniquity H5766 like water H4325 ?
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17. "I've a thing or two to tell you, so listen up! I'm letting you in on my views;
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17. I will show H2331 thee, hear H8085 me ; and that H2088 which I have seen H2372 I will declare H5608 ;
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18. It's what wise men and women have always taught, holding nothing back from what they were taught
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18. Which H834 wise H2450 men have told H5046 from their fathers H4480 H1 , and have not H3808 hid H3582 it :
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19. By their parents, back in the days when they had this land all to themselves:
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19. Unto whom alone H905 the earth H776 was given H5414 , and no H3808 stranger H2114 passed H5674 among H8432 them.
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20. Those who live by their own rules, not God's, can expect nothing but trouble, and the longer they live, the worse it gets.
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20. The wicked man H7563 travaileth with pain H2342 all H3605 his days H3117 , and the number H4557 of years H8141 is hidden H6845 to the oppressor H6184 .
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21. Every little sound terrifies them. Just when they think they have it made, disaster strikes.
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21. A dreadful H6343 sound H6963 is in his ears H241 : in prosperity H7965 the destroyer H7703 shall come upon H935 him.
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22. They despair of things ever getting better-- they're on the list of people for whom things always turn out for the worst.
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22. He believeth H539 not H3808 that he shall return H7725 out of H4480 darkness H2822 , and he H1931 is waited for H6822 of H413 the sword H2719 .
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23. They wander here and there, never knowing where the next meal is coming from-- every day is doomsday!
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23. He H1931 wandereth abroad H5074 for bread H3899 , saying , Where H346 is it ? he knoweth H3045 that H3588 the day H3117 of darkness H2822 is ready H3559 at his hand H3027 .
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24. They live in constant terror, always with their backs up against the wall
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24. Trouble H6862 and anguish H4691 shall make him afraid H1204 ; they shall prevail against H8630 him , as a king H4428 ready H6264 to the battle H3593 .
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25. Because they insist on shaking their fists at God, defying God Almighty to his face,
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25. For H3588 he stretcheth out H5186 his hand H3027 against H413 God H410 , and strengtheneth himself H1396 against H413 the Almighty H7706 .
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26. Always and ever at odds with God, always on the defensive.
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26. He runneth H7323 upon H413 him, even on his neck H6677 , upon the thick H5672 bosses H1354 of his bucklers H4043 :
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27. "Even if they're the picture of health, trim and fit and youthful,
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27. Because H3588 he covereth H3680 his face H6440 with his fatness H2459 , and maketh H6213 collops of fat H6371 on H5921 his flanks H3689 .
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28. They'll end up living in a ghost town sleeping in a hovel not fit for a dog, a ramshackle shack.
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28. And he dwelleth in H7931 desolate H3582 cities H5892 , and in houses which H1004 no H3808 man inhabiteth H3427 , which H834 are ready H6257 to become heaps H1530 .
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29. They'll never get ahead, never amount to a hill of beans.
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29. He shall not H3808 be rich H6238 , neither H3808 shall his substance H2428 continue H6965 , neither H3808 shall he prolong H5186 the perfection H4512 thereof upon the earth H776 .
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30. And then death--don't think they'll escape that! They'll end up shriveled weeds, brought down by a puff of God's breath.
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30. He shall not H3808 depart H5493 out of H4480 darkness H2822 ; the flame H7957 shall dry up H3001 his branches H3127 , and by the breath H7307 of his mouth H6310 shall he go away H5493 .
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31. There's a lesson here: Whoever invests in lies, gets lies for interest,
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31. Let not H408 him that is deceived H8582 trust H539 in vanity H7723 : for H3588 vanity H7723 shall be H1961 his recompense H8545 .
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32. Paid in full before the due date. Some investment!
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32. It shall be accomplished H4390 before H3808 his time H3117 , and his branch H3712 shall not H3808 be green H7488 .
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33. They'll be like fruit frost-killed before it ripens, like buds sheared off before they bloom.
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33. He shall shake off H2554 his unripe grape H1154 as the vine H1612 , and shall cast off H7993 his flower H5328 as the olive H2132 .
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34. The godless are fruitless--a barren crew; a life built on bribes goes up in smoke.
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34. For H3588 the congregation H5712 of hypocrites H2611 shall be desolate H1565 , and fire H784 shall consume H398 the tabernacles H168 of bribery H7810 .
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35. They have sex with sin and give birth to evil. Their lives are wombs for breeding deceit."
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35. They conceive H2029 mischief H5999 , and bring forth H3205 vanity H205 , and their belly H990 prepareth H3559 deceit H4820 .
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