1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 I f we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou 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 upholden him 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 it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth 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 uprightness of thy ways?

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

7 R emember, 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, they 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 blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they 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 perisheth 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 N ow a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

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

13 I n thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on 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 my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

A spirit passed by my face. The hair of my flesh stood up.

16 I t 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,

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 servants; 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 less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before 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 any regarding it.

Between morning and evening they are destroyed. Without anyone seeing it they become lost forever.

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

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