1 But Eliphaz the Themanite answering, said:
1 Then Eliphaz, the Themanite, answered, and said:
2 If we shall begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it grievously, but the word conceived who can hold?
2 If we begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it ill; but who can withhold the words he hath conceived?
3 Behold thou hast taught many, and weary hands thou hast strengthened.
3 Behold thou hast taught many, and thou hast strengthened the weary hands:
4 Them that wavered thy words have confirmed, and trembling knees thou hast strengthened:
4 Thy words have confirmed them that were staggering, and thou hast strengthened the trembling knees:
5 But now a plague is come upon thee, & thou hast fainted: hath touched thee, and thou art troubled.
5 But now the scourge is come upon thee, and thou faintest: It hath touched thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Where is thy fear, thy strength, thy patience, and the perfection of thy ways?
6 Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, and the perfection of thy ways?
7 Remember I beseech thee, who ever being innocent hath perished? Or when have the just been destroyed?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or when were the just destroyed?
8 Yea rather I have seen them that work iniquity, and sow sorrows, and reap them,
8 On the contrary, I have seen those who work iniquity, and sow sorrows, and reap them,
9 to have perished by the blast of God, and with the spirit of his wrath to have been consumed.
9 Perishing by the blast of God, and consumed by the spirit of his wrath.
10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the whelps of lions are bruised:
10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the whelps of lions, are broken:
11 The tiger hath perished, because he had no prey, and the lions' whelps are destroyed.
11 The tiger hath perished for want of prey, and the young lions are scattered abroad.
12 Moreover to me there was spoken a secret word, and as it were by stealth hath mine ear received the veins of the whispering thereof.
12 Now there was a word spoken to me in private, and my ears by stealth, as it were, received the veins of its whisper.
13 In the horror of a vision by night, when deep sleep is wont to hold men,
13 In the horror of a vision by night, when deep sleep is wont to hold men,
14 fear held me, and trembling, and all my bones were made sore afraid:
14 Fear seized upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were affrighted:
15 And when the spirit passed in my presence, the hairs of my flesh stood upright.
15 And when a spirit passed before me, the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 There stood one, whose countenance I knew not, an image before mine eyes, and I heard the voice as it were of a gentle wind:
16 There stood one whose countenance I knew not, an image before my eyes, and I heard the voice, as it were, of a gentle wind.
17 What, shall man be justified in comparison of God, or shall a man be more pure than his maker?
17 ¹Shall man be justified in comparison of God, or shall a man be more pure than his maker?
18 Behold they that serve him are not stable, and in his Angels he found wickedness:
18 ²Behold, they that serve him are not steadfast, and in his angels he found wickedness:
19 How much more they that inhabit houses of clay, which have an earthly foundation, shall be consumed as it were of the moth?
19 How much more shall they that dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation, be consumed as with the moth?
20 From morning until evening they shall be cut down: and because none understandeth, they shall perish for ever.
20 From morning till evening they shall be cut down: and because no one understandeth, they shall perish forever.
21 And they that shall be left, shall be taken away from them: they shall die, and not in wisdom.
21 And they that shall be left, shall be taken away from them: they shall die, and not in wisdom.