1 | And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said, |
2 | If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind? |
3 | Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong; |
4 | He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees. |
5 | But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled. |
6 | Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope? |
7 | Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off? |
8 | What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves. |
9 | By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off. |
10 | Though the noise of the lion and the sounding of his voice, may be loud, the teeth of the young lions are broken. |
11 | The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions. |
12 | A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears. |
13 | In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men, |
14 | Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble; |
15 | And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff: |
16 | Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying: |
17 | May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker? |
18 | Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels; |
19 | How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect; |
20 | Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note. |
21 | If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom? |