1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 I f we venture to converse with you, will you be offended? Yet who can restrain himself from speaking?

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

3 B ehold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

4 Y our words have held firm him who was falling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

5 B ut now it is come upon you, and you faint and are grieved; it touches you, and you are troubled and dismayed.

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

6 I s not your fear of God your confidence and the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?

Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

7 T hink, I beg of you: who, being innocent, ever perished? Or where were those upright and in right standing with God cut off?

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

8 A s I myself have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble and mischief reap the same.

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

9 B y the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

10 T he roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken.

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

11 T he old and strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

12 N ow a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

13 I n thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

14 F ear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones shake.

Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

15 T hen a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up!

Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

16 s tood still, but I could not discern the appearance of it. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying,

It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

17 C an mortal man be just before God, or be more right than He is? Can a man be pure before his Maker, or be more cleansed than He is?

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18 E ven in His servants He puts no trust or confidence, and His angels He charges with folly and error—

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

19 H ow much more those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.

How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

20 B etween morning and evening they are destroyed; without anyone noticing it they perish forever.

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

21 I s not their tent cord plucked up within them ? Do they not die, and that without wisdom?

Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.