Job 4

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

2 If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking?

If one attempt a word unto thee, wilt thou be impatient? But, to restrain speech, who, can endure?

3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands;

Lo! thou hast admonished many, and, slack hands, hast thou been wont to uphold:

4 Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:

Him that was stumbling, have thy words raised up, and, sinking knees, hast thou strengthened.

5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

But, now, it cometh upon thee, and thou despairest, It smiteth even thee, and thou art dismayed.

6 Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?

Is not, thy reverence, thy confidence? And is not, thy hope, the very integrity of thy ways?

7 Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off?

Remember, I pray thee, who, being innocent, hath perished, or when, the upright, have been cut off.

8 Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same.

So far as I have seen, They who plow for iniquity and sow misery, reap the same:

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

By the blast of GOD, they perish, And, by the breath of his nostrils, are they consumed:

10 The roar of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken;

[Notwithstanding] the roaring of the lion, and the noise of the howling lion, yet, the teeth of the fierce lions, are broken:

11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

The strong lion perishing for lack of prey, Even the whelps of the lioness, are scattered.

12 Now to me a word was secretly brought, and mine ear received a whisper thereof.

But, unto me, something was brought by stealth, —and mine ear caught a whispering of the same:

13 In thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men: —

When there were thoughts, from visions of the night, —When deep sleep falleth upon men,

14 Fear came on me, and trembling, and made all my bones to shake;

Dread, came upon me, and trembling, The multitude of my bones, it put in dread:

15 And a spirit passed before my face — the hair of my flesh stood up —

Then, a spirit, over my face, floated along, The hair of my flesh bristled-up:

16 It stood still; I could not discern the appearance thereof: a form was before mine eyes; I heard a slight murmur and a voice:

It stood still, but I could not distinguish its appearance, I looked, but there was no form before mine eyes, —A whispering voice, I heard: —

17 Shall [mortal] man be more just than God? Shall a man be purer than his Maker?

Shall, mortal man, be more just than GOD? Or a man be more pure than, his Maker?

18 Lo, he trusteth not his servants, and his angels he chargeth with folly:

Lo! in his own servants, he trusteth not, and, his own messengers, he chargeth with error:

19 How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!

How much more the dwellers in houses of clay, which, in the dust, have their foundation, which are crushed sooner than a moth:

20 From morning to evening are they smitten: without any heeding it, they perish for ever.

Betwixt morning and evening, are they broken in pieces, With none to save, they utterly perish:

21 Is not their tent-cord torn away in them? they die, and without wisdom.

Is not their tent-rope within them, torn away? They die, disrobed of wisdom!