The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
King James Version KJV
1 Then Elifaz the Teimani spoke up:
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 "If one tries to speak to you, will you mind? Yet who could keep from speaking?
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If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 You have given moral instruction to many, you have firmed up feeble hands,
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Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
4 your words have supported those who were stumbling, and you have strengthened the weak-kneed.
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Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
5 "But now it comes to you, and you are impatient; at the first touch, you are in shock.
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But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Isn't your fear of God your assurance, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
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Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
7 "Think back: what innocent person has perished? Since when are the upright destroyed?
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Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
8 What I see is that those who plow sin and sow trouble reap just that.
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Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
9 At a breath from God, they perish; at a blast from his anger, they are consumed.
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By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
10 The lion may growl, the king lion may roar, but that old lion's teeth are broken;
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The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 so the lion succumbs from lack of prey, and the lion's cubs are scattered.
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The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.
12 "For a word was stealthily brought to me, my ear caught only a whisper of it.
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Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.
13 In passing thoughts flashing through visions at night, when sleep lies heavy on people,
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In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
14 a shiver of horror came over me; it made all my bones tremble.
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Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
15 Then a spirit passed in front of my face; the hair of my flesh stood on end.
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Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:
16 It stood still, but I couldn't make out its appearance; yet the form stayed there before my eyes. Then I heard a subdued voice:
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It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
17 'Can a human be seen by God as righteous? Can a mortal be pure before his maker?
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Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
18 [God] doesn't trust his own servants, he finds fault even with his angels;
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Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
19 much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust. They are crushed more easily than a worm;
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How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
20 shattered between morning and evening; they perish forever, and no one takes notice.
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They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
21 Their cord within them is pulled up; then they die, without ever gaining wisdom.'
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Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The King James Version is in the public domain.