Job 4

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

Then spake Eliphaz the Temanite, 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 one attempt a word with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can refrain from speaking?

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

Behold, thou hast admonished many; Thou hast strengthened feeble 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 upheld him that was falling, And thou hast given strength 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.

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art confounded!

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

Is not thy fear of God thy hope, And the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence?

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 have the righteous been cut off?

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

According to what I have seen, they who plough iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same.

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

By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed.

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 fierce lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

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

A word was once secretly brought to me, And mine ear caught a whisper thereof.

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

Amid thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men,

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

A fear and a horror came upon me, Which made all my bones to shake.

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

Then a spirit passed before my face, The hair of my flesh rose on end;

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 its form I could not discern; An image was before mine eyes; There was silence, and I heard a voice:

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

“Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall man be more pure than his Maker?

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

Behold, he putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And his angels he chargeth with frailty.

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

What then are they who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten!

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

Between morning and evening are they destroyed; They perish for ever, and none regardeth it.

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

The excellency that is in them is torn away; They die before they have become wise.”