[1] Eliphaz from Teman answered: [2] "I must say something. Would it upset you if I speak? [3] Job, you have taught many people. You encouraged those who were ready to quit. [4] Your words helped those who were ready to fall. You gave strength to those who could not stand by themselves. [5] But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged. Trouble hits you, and you are upset. [6] You worship God. You trust him. You are a good man, so let that be your hope. [7] Can you think of any innocent person who was ever destroyed? Do you know of any place where good people are punished? [8] Yes, I have seen people whose lives were cut short, but they were evil troublemakers. [9] They lost the breath God gave them. They were cut off from his breath of life. [10] They were like roaring lions, like growling lions with broken teeth- [11] like a lioness that cannot find prey. They died, and their cubs starved to death. [12] "I happened to hear a message. My ears caught a whisper of it. [13] Like a bad dream in the night, it ruined my sleep. [14] It frightened me, and I trembled down to my bones. [15] A spirit passed by my face. The hair on my body stood up! [16] The spirit stood still, but I could not see what it was. A shape stood before my eyes, and there was silence. Then I heard a quiet voice: [17] 'A person cannot be more right than God. People cannot be more pure than their Maker. [18] Look, God cannot even trust his heavenly servants. He sees faults even in his angels. [19] So surely people are worse! They live in houses of clay built on dust. They can be crushed as easily as a moth! [20] From dawn to sunset people are destroyed. They die-gone forever-and no one even notices. [21] The ropes of their tent are pulled up, and they die before gaining wisdom.'
