Job 4

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite 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?

Hast you been often spoken to in distress? but who shall endure the force of your words?

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

For whereas you have instructed many, and have strengthened the hands of the weak one,

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

and have supported the failing with words, and have imparted courage to feeble 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.

Yet now [that] pain has come upon you, and touched you, you are troubled.

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

Is not your fear [founded] in folly, your hope also, and the mischief of your way?

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

Remember then who has perished, being pure? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed?

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

Accordingly as I have seen men plowing barren places, and they that sow them will reap sorrows for themselves.

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

They shall perish by the command of the Lord, and shall be utterly consumed by the breath 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 strength of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the exulting cry of serpents are quenched.

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 old lion has perished for lack of food, and the lions' whelps have forsaken one another.

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

But if there had been any truth in your words, none of these evils would have befallen you. Shall not mine ear receive excellent [revelations] from him?

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

But [as when] terror falls upon men, with dread and a sound in the night,

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

horror and trembling seized me, and caused all my bones greatly to shake.

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

And a spirit came before my face; and my hair and flesh quivered.

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:

I arose and perceived it not: I looked, and there, was no form before my eyes: but I only heard a breath and a voice, [saying],

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

What, shall a mortal be pure before the Lord? or a man be blameless in regard to his works?

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

Whereas he trust not in his servants, and perceives perverseness in his angels.

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

But [as for] them that dwell in houses of clay, of whom we also are formed of the same clay, he smites them like a moth.

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

And from the morning to evening they no longer exist: they have perished, because they can’t help themselves.

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

For he blows upon them, and they are withered: they have perished for lack of wisdom.