¹And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking?

³Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands;

⁴Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:

⁵But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?

⁷Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off?

⁸Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same.

⁹By the breath of +God they perish, and by the blast of his nostrils are they consumed.[#Hebrew: Eloah]

¹⁰The roar of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken;

¹¹The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

¹²Now to me a word was secretly brought, and mine ear received a whisper thereof.

¹³In thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men: —

¹⁴Fear came on me, and trembling, and made all my bones to shake;

¹⁵And a spirit passed before my face — the hair of my flesh stood up —

¹⁶It stood still; I could not discern the appearance thereof: a form was before mine eyes; I heard a slight murmur and a voice:

¹⁷Shall mortal man be more just than +God Shall a man be purer than his Maker?[#Hebrew: Eloah]

¹⁸Lo, he trusteth not his servants, and his angels he chargeth with folly:

¹⁹How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!

²⁰From morning to evening are they smitten: without any heeding it, they perish for ever.

²¹Is not their tent-cord torn away in them? they die, and without wisdom.