1 ¶ Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered and said,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 I f we attempt to commune with thee, thou wilt be grieved. But who can withhold himself from speaking?

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

3 B ehold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.

4 T hy words have upheld the one that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

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

5 B ut now that it is come upon thee, thou art grieved; it touches thee, and thou art troubled.

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

6 I s not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the integrity of thy ways?

Is not your fear of God your confidence and the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?

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

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

8 E ven as I have seen, those that plow iniquity and sow wickedness, reap the same.

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

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

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are 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 lion perishes for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.

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

12 ¶ Now the matter was also hidden from me, but my ear has perceived a little of it.

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

13 I n imaginations of visions of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men,

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

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

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

15 T hen a spirit passed before me which caused the hair of my flesh to stand up.

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

16 A ghost stood in front of me, whose face I did not recognize, and I heard it say,

stood 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,

17 S hall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker?

Can 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?

18 B ehold, he put no trust in his slaves, and his angels he charged with folly.

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

19 H ow much more with those that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who shall be crushed by the moth!

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

20 T hey are destroyed from morning to evening; they perish for ever without anyone regarding it.

Between morning and evening they are destroyed; without anyone noticing it they perish forever.

21 D oes their beauty perish with them? They die and do not know.

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