1 A nd Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 H ath one tried a word with thee? -- Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?

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

3 L o, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.

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

4 T he stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.

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

5 B ut now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto 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 thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope -- the perfection 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, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?

“Think now, who without guilt was ever destroyed?

8 A s I have seen -- ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!

As I have seen, those who plow sin and plant trouble gather the same.

9 F rom the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.

By the breath of God they are destroyed. They are destroyed by the wind of His anger.

10 T he roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.

The noise of the lion, the voice of the angry lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken.

11 A n old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.

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

12 A nd unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear 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 thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,

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

14 F ear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.

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

15 A nd a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;

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

16 I t standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:

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 ` Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?

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

18 L o, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'

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

19 A lso -- the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)

How much more those who live in houses of clay, who build upon the dust, who are crushed like the moth!

20 F rom morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.

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

21 H ath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!

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