2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
2 "Should a wise person respond with knowledge based on wind? Should he fill his stomach with a wind storm from the east?
2 “Should a wise man [such as you] utter such windy and vain knowledge [as we have just heard]And fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]?
3 “Should he argue with useless talk,Or with words which are not profitable?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
3 Should he engage in unprofitable argument, or give a speech that benefits no one?
3 “Should he rebuke and argue with useless talk?Or with words in which there is no benefit?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
9 What do you know that we don’t?What do you understand that is not clear to us?
9 What do you know that we don't know, or that you understand and that isn't clear to us?
9 “What do you know that we do not know?What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?
10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
10 Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us,men older than your father.
10 "We have both the gray-haired and the aged with us, and they are far older than your father.
10 “Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged,Older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
11 Are God’s consolations not enough for you,even the words that deal gently with you?
11 Are God's encouragements inconsequential to you, even a word that has been spoken gently to you?
11 “Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you,[Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?
12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
12 Why has your heart misled you,and why do your eyes flash
12 Why have your emotions carried you away? And why do your eyes flash
12 “Why does your heart carry you away [allowing you to be controlled by emotion]?And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt],
13 That you should turn your spirit against GodAnd allow such words to go out of your mouth?
13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
13 that you turn your anger against God and speak words like this?
13 That you should turn your spirit against GodAnd let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?
14 “What is man, that (L)he should be pure,Or (M)he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
14 "What is mankind, that he can be blameless? Or does being born of a woman mean he'll be in the right?
14 “What is man, that he should be pure and clean,Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?
16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
16 then how much less is one who is abhorred and corrupted, such as a man who drinks injustice like water?"
16 How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt,Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!
17 “I will tell you, listen to me;And what I have seen I will also declare;
17 I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
17 Listen to me and I will inform you.I will describe what I have seen,
17 "I'll tell you what, listen to me! Let me relate what I've seen,
17 “I will tell you, listen to me;And what I have seen I will also declare;
19 To whom alone the land was given,And no alien passed among them.
19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
19 the land was given to them alonewhen no foreigner passed among them.
19 To them alone was the land given, when no invader passed through their midst.
19 To whom alone the land was given,And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].
20 “The wicked man writhes (S)in pain all his days,And (e)numbered are the years (T)stored up for the ruthless.
20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
20 "The wicked person writhes in pain throughout his life, a number of years has been reserved for the ruthless.
20 “The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,And numbered are the years stored up for him, the ruthless one.
21 A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
21 Dreadful sounds fill his ears;when he is at peace, a robber attacks him.
21 Terrifying sounds ring in his ears; when times are prosperous, the Destroyer will attack him.
21 “A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
22 He does not believe he will escape darkness; he is destined for the sword.
22 “He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered],And he is destined for the sword [of God’s vengeance].
23 “He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’He knows that a day of (Y)darkness is (g)at hand.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
23 He wanders about for food, saying, “Where is it?”He knows the day of darkness is at hand.
23 He wanders around for food where is it? He knows that a time of darkness is near.
23 “He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.
24 “Distress and anguish terrify him,They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
24 Distress and pressure terrify him; they overwhelm him, like a king poised for attack.
24 “Distress and anxiety terrify him,They overpower him like a king ready for battle.
28 “He has (AB)lived in desolate cities,In houses no one would inhabit,Which are destined to become (k)ruins.
28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
28 He will live in devastated towns, in abandoned houses that are about to become heaps of rubble.
28 And he has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities,In houses which no one should inhabit,Which were destined to become heaps [of ruins];
29 “He (AC)will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;And his grain will not bend down to the ground.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure.His possessions(f) will not increase in the land.
29 "He won't become rich and his wealth won't last; he won't expand his holdings to cover the land.
29 He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.
30 “He will (AD)not (l)escape from darkness;The (AE)flame will wither his shoots,And by (AF)the breath of His mouth he will go away.
30 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.
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)
30 He won't escape darkness; a flame will wither his shoots; and he'll depart by the breath of God's mouth.
30 “He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster];The flame [of God’s wrath] will wither his branch,And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.
31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
31 Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray,for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.
31 Let him not trust in a worthless speech. He leads only himself astray, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
32 It will be accomplished before his time,and his branch will not flourish.
32 This will be accomplished before his time; his branches won't grow luxuriant.
32 “It will be fulfilled while he still lives,And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].
33 “He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine,And will (AJ)cast off his flower like the olive tree.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
33 He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes(R)and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
33 "He is like a vine that drops its unripe grapes; like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.
33 “He will fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine,And will cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.
34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
34 For the company of the godless(S) will have no children,and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes.
34 For the company of the godless is desolation, and fire consumes the tents of those who bribe.
34 “For the company of the godless is barren,And fire consumes the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.
International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.
King James Version Public Domain
New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org