Read the Bible

Eliphaz Talks

¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, ² "If one speaks with you, will you want him to stop? But who can keep from speaking? ³ See, you have taught many, and you have given strength to weak hands. ⁴ Your words have helped him stand who would have fallen. You have given strength to weak knees. ⁵ But now it has come to you, and you are not happy. It touches you, and you are troubled and sad. ⁶ Is not your fear of God what gives you strength and your good ways that give you hope?

⁷ "Think now, who without guilt was ever destroyed? ⁸ As I have seen, those who plow sin and plant trouble gather the same. ⁹ By the breath of God they are destroyed. They are destroyed by the wind of His anger. ¹⁰ The noise of the lion, the voice of the angry lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. ¹¹ The strong lion dies because there is no food to get. And the young of the lioness are sent everywhere.

¹² "Now a word was brought to me in secret. My ear heard it spoken in a quiet voice. ¹³ With troubled thoughts from the dreams of the night, when deep sleep comes upon men, ¹⁴ fear came to me and I shook. It made all my bones shake. ¹⁵ A spirit passed by my face. The hair of my flesh stood up. ¹⁶ The spirit stood still, but I could not understand what I saw. Something was in front of my eyes. All was quiet, then I heard a voice: ¹⁷ ‘Can man be right more than God? Can a man be pure more than his Maker? ¹⁸ He puts no trust even in His servants. He finds mistakes among His angels. ¹⁹ How much more those who live in houses of clay, who build upon the dust, who are crushed like the moth! ²⁰ Between morning and evening they are destroyed. Without anyone seeing it they become lost forever. ²¹ Is not their tent-rope pulled up within them? They die, and have no wisdom.'