Job 4

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:

2 If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?

If we begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it ill, but who can withhold the words he hath conceived?

3 Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong;

Behold thou hast taught many, and thou hast strengthened the weary hands:

4 He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.

Thy words have confirmed them that were staggering, and thou hast strengthened the trembling knees:

5 But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled.

But now the scourge is come upon thee, and thou faintest: it hath touched thee, and thou art troubled.

6 Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?

Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, and the perfection of thy ways?

7 Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? or when were the just destroyed?

8 What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.

On the contrary I have seen those who work iniquity, and sow sorrows, and reap them,

9 By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.

Perishing by the blast of God, and consumed by the spirit of his wrath.

10 Though the noise of the lion and the sounding of his voice, may be loud, the teeth of the young lions are broken.

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the whelps of lions are broken:

11 The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.

The tiger hath perished for want of prey, and the young lions are scattered abroad.

12 A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears.

Now there was a word spoken to me in private, and my ears by stealth as it were received the veins of its whisper.

13 In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,

In the horror of a vision by night, when deep sleep is wont to hold men,

14 Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;

Fear seized upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were affrighted:

15 And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff:

And when a spirit passed before me, the hair of my flesh stood up.

16 Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:

There stood one whose countenance I knew not, an image before my eyes, and I heard the voice as it were of a gentle wind:

17 May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?

Shall man be justified in comparison of God, or shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18 Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels;

Behold they that serve him are not steadfast, and in his angels he found wickedness:

19 How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect;

How much more shall they that dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation, be consumed as with the moth?

20 Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.

From morning till evening they shall be cut down: and because no one understandeth, they shall perish for ever.

21 If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?

And they that shall be left, shall be taken away from them: they shall die, and not in wisdom.