Job 4
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, 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 essay to address a word to thee, wilt thou be wearied? yet who is able to refrain from speaking?
3 Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong;
Behold, thou hast [ere this] corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen.
4 He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.
Him that stumbled thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor.
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, when it cometh to thee, thou art wearied: it toucheth even thee, and thou art terrified.
6 Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?
Is not then thy fear of God still thy confidence, thy hope equal to the integrity 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 where were the righteous destroyed?
8 What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.
Even as I have seen, that those who plough wrong-doing, and sow trouble, have to reap the same.
9 By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.
Before the breathing of God they perish, and before the breath of his nostrils they come to their end.
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 fierce lion, and the teeth of the young 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 old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness have to scatter themselves abroad.
12 A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears.
But to me a word came by stealth, and my ear took in a scarcely perceptible whisper thereof.
13 In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,
In intense thoughts out of visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men:
14 Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;
Dread came over me, with trembling, and it caused all my bones to shudder.
15 And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff:
Then flitted a spirit past before my face; the hair of my body 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:
It stood still, but I could not recognize its form; a figure was before my eyes, a slight whisper, then a [louder] voice I heard, saying,
17 May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?
Can a mortal be more righteous than God? or can 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, in his servants he putteth no trust, and his angels he chargeth with folly:
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 less in those that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed till they come to be eaten by 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 to evening are they broken to pieces: without laying it [to heart] they perish for ever.
21 If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?
Behold, their excellency which is in them is torn away: they die, and this without wisdom.
