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

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

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

“If one speaks with you, will you want him to stop? But who can keep from speaking?

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

See, you have taught many, and you have given strength to weak hands.

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

Your words have helped him stand who would have fallen. You have given strength to weak knees.

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

But now it has come to you, and you are not happy. It touches you, and you are troubled and sad.

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

Is not your fear of God what gives you strength and your good ways that give you hope?

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

“Think now, who without guilt was ever destroyed?

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

As I have seen, those who plow sin and plant trouble gather 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 are destroyed. They are destroyed by the wind of His anger.

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

The noise of the lion, the voice of the angry 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 strong lion dies because there is no food to get. And the young of the lioness are sent everywhere.

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

“Now a word was brought to me in secret. My ear heard it spoken in a quiet voice.

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

With troubled thoughts from the dreams of the night, when deep sleep comes upon men,

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

fear came to me and I shook. It made all my bones shake.

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

A spirit passed by 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,

The spirit stood still, but I could not understand what I saw. Something was in front of my eyes. All was quiet, then I heard a voice:

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

‘Can man be right more than God? Can a man be pure more than his Maker?

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

He puts no trust even in His servants. He finds mistakes among His angels.

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 live in houses of clay, who build upon 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 seeing it they become lost forever.

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

Is not their tent-rope pulled up within them? They die, and have no wisdom.’