Job 4
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 “Has one tried a word with you? You are weary! And who is able to keep in words?
If we essay to address a word to thee, wilt thou be wearied? yet who is able to refrain from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many, And feeble hands you make strong.
Behold, thou hast [ere this] corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen.
4 Your words raise up the stumbling one, And you strengthen bowing knees.
Him that stumbled thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor.
5 But now, it comes to you, And you are weary; It strikes to you, and you are troubled.
Yet now, when it cometh to thee, thou art wearied: it toucheth even thee, and thou art terrified.
6 Is your reverence not your confidence? Your hope—the perfection of your ways?
Is not then thy fear of God still thy confidence, thy hope equal to the integrity of thy ways?
7 Now remember, Who, being innocent, has perished? And where have the upright been cut off?
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous destroyed?
8 As I have seen—plowers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
Even as I have seen, that those who plough wrong-doing, and sow trouble, have to reap the same.
9 From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger [are] consumed.
Before the breathing of God they perish, and before the breath of his nostrils they come to their end.
10 The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.
The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness separate.
The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness have to scatter themselves abroad.
12 And a thing is secretly brought to me, And my ear receives a little of it.
But to me a word came by stealth, and my ear took in a scarcely perceptible whisper thereof.
13 In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
In intense thoughts out of visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men:
14 Fear has met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
Dread came over me, with trembling, and it caused all my bones to shudder.
15 And a spirit passes before my face, The hair of my flesh stands up;
Then flitted a spirit past before my face; the hair of my body stood up:
16 It stands, and I do not discern its aspect, A likeness [is] before my eyes, Silence! And I hear a voice:
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 Is mortal man more righteous than God? Is a man cleaner than his Maker?
Can a mortal be more righteous than God? or can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Behold, He puts no credence in His servants, Nor sets praise in His messengers.
Behold, in his servants he putteth no trust, and his angels he chargeth with folly:
19 Also—the inhabitants of houses of clay (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth).
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 From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, they perish forever.
From morning to evening are they broken to pieces: without laying it [to heart] they perish for ever.
21 Has their excellence not been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!”
Behold, their excellency which is in them is torn away: they die, and this without wisdom.
