Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

If one attempts a word with you, will you be wearied by it?
But who can refrain from speaking?

Indeed, you have instructed many,
And you have strengthened the weak hands.

Your words have raised up him who was stumbling,
And you have made the bowing knees firm.

But now it comes to you, and you are wearied by it;
It touches you, and you are disturbed.

Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

Remember now, who, being innocent, has ever perished?
And where have the upright ever been cut off?

According to what I have seen, those who plow  ¹iniquity
And those who sow trouble reap the same.

By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

The roaring of the lion and the sound of the fierce lion
And the teeth of the young lions are broken;

The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

But a matter has stolen in unto me,
And my ear has received a whisper of it.

In perplexing thoughts of the night visions,
When deep sleep falls upon men,

Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And caused all my bones to dread.

And a spirit passed before my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled.

It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form stood before my eyes;
I heard a murmur of a voice:

Can a mortal man be more righteous than God?
Can a man be purer than his Maker?

If He puts no trust in His servants,
And He charges His angels with error,

How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in dust,
Who are crushed like a moth!

From morning to evening they are smashed to pieces;
Without any considering it, they  ¹continually perish.

Should their tent cord be plucked up within them,
They die, and not in wisdom.

Call now! Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

Surely vexation slays the fool,
And jealousy kills the simpleton.

I have seen the fool taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his habitation.

His children are far from safety,
And they are crushed in the gate; and there is no one to deliver them.

The hungry eat his harvest
And  ¹even take it out from the thorns,
And the  ²thirsty pant after  ³his wealth.

For evil does not come forth from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.

But man is born unto trouble,
Just as sparks fly upward.

But as for me, I would seek after God,
And I would commit my cause to God,

Who does great things that cannot be searched,
Wonderful deeds that cannot be numbered;

Who gives rain upon the surface of the earth
And sends water upon the surface of the fields;

Who sets on high those who are lowly
And puts those who mourn safely above all.

He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands achieve no enterprise.

He seizes the wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the wily is brought to a sudden end.

By day they encounter darkness,
And at noon they grope about as in the night.

But He saves the needy from the sword of their mouth,
From the hand of the strong.

Thus the poor have hope,
And Injustice stops her mouth.

Indeed, blessed is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not reject the  ¹chastening of the  ²Almighty.

For He wounds, but He binds up;
He strikes, but His hands heal.

In six troubles He will deliver you;
Indeed in seven no evil will touch you.

In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in battle, from the power of the sword.

From the scourge of the tongue you will be hidden,
And you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.

At destruction and at famine you will laugh,
And you will not be afraid of the animals of the earth.

For you will be in an alliance with the stones of the field,
And the animals of the field will be at peace with you.

And you will know that your tent is at peace,
And you will inspect your fold and miss nothing.

And you will know that your seed will be great,
And your offspring like the grass of the earth.

You will come to the grave at a ripe old age,
Like a shock of grain  ¹coming up in its season.

This is it. We have searched it out; it is so.
Hear then and know it for yourself.

Then Job  ¹answered and said,

Oh that my  ¹vexation were weighed indeed,
And that my ruin were lifted onto the scales together with it!

For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.

For the arrows of the Almighty are in me,
The poison of which my spirit drinks up;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

Does the wild ass bray over its grass?
Or does the ox low over its fodder?

Is what is savorless eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

My soul refuses to touch them;
They are like putrid food to me.

Oh that I might have my request,
And that God would grant me what I long for;

That God would be willing to crush me;
That He would release His hand and cut me off!

Then there would still be comfort for me;
And I would exult, even in writhing pain that does not spare,
That I did not  ¹deny the words of the Holy One.

What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should be patient?

Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?

Is there any help for me at all within me,
And has wisdom been driven away from me?

To him who is fainting there should be kindness from his friend,
Else he will forsake the fear of the Almighty.

My brothers have dealt as treacherously as a desert brook,
As the rivulets of the desert brooks that pass away,

Which are turbid because of the ice,
And into which the snow hides itself.

When they are scorched, they are completely consumed;
When it is hot, they are dried up from their place.

Caravans divert their ways for them;
They go up into the waste and perish.

The caravans of Tema look for them;
The companies of Sheba long for them.

They are put to shame because they are confident;
They go there and are confounded.

So now you have become such;
You see a terrible thing and are afraid.

Have I said, Give me something?
Or, Pay a bribe for me out of your wealth?

Or, Deliver me from the hand of the adversary?
Or, From the hand of the oppressors redeem me?

Teach me, and I will be silent;
Cause me to understand how I have erred.

How forceful are upright words!
But what does this reproving from you reprove?

Do you think you can reprove words?
But the words of a desperate man are for the wind.

You would even cast lots over the orphan
And bargain over your friend.

Now then be pleased to look upon me,
For surely I will not lie to your face.

Turn now; let there be no injustice.
Indeed turn; my righteousness is still here.

Is there any injustice on my tongue?
Can my palate not discern calamities?