12 “Now a word awas brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a bwhisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting athoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made the multitude of my bones shake in dread.
15 Then a spirit swept by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.
16 It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can amankind be right before God?
Can a man be pure before his bMaker?
18 aHe puts no trust even in His slaves;
And against His angels He charges error.
19 How much more those who dwell in ahouses of clay,
Whose bfoundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 aBetween morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unobserved, they bperish forever.
21 Is not their atent‑cord pulled up within them?
They die, yet bwithout wisdom.’