Job 4
1 Then spake Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 If one attempt a word with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can refrain from speaking?
“Has one tried a word with you? You are weary! And who is able to keep in words?
3 Behold, thou hast admonished many; Thou hast strengthened feeble hands;
Behold, you have instructed many, And feeble hands you make strong.
4 Thy words have upheld him that was falling, And thou hast given strength to feeble knees.
Your words raise up the stumbling one, And you strengthen bowing knees.
5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art confounded!
But now, it comes to you, And you are weary; It strikes to you, and you are troubled.
6 Is not thy fear of God thy hope, And the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence?
Is your reverence not your confidence? Your hope—the perfection of your ways?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where have the righteous been cut off?
Now remember, Who, being innocent, has perished? And where have the upright been cut off?
8 According to what I have seen, they who plough iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same.
As I have seen—plowers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
9 By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed.
From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger [are] consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.
11 The fierce lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.
An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness separate.
12 A word was once secretly brought to me, And mine ear caught a whisper thereof.
And a thing is secretly brought to me, And my ear receives a little of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
14 A fear and a horror came upon me, Which made all my bones to shake.
Fear has met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face, The hair of my flesh rose on end;
And a spirit passes before my face, The hair of my flesh stands up;
16 It stood still, but its form I could not discern; An image was before mine eyes; There was silence, and I heard a voice:
It stands, and I do not discern its aspect, A likeness [is] before my eyes, Silence! And I hear a voice:
17 “Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall man be more pure than his Maker?
Is mortal man more righteous than God? Is a man cleaner than his Maker?
18 Behold, he putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And his angels he chargeth with frailty.
Behold, He puts no credence in His servants, Nor sets praise in His messengers.
19 What then are they who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten!
Also—the inhabitants of houses of clay (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth).
20 Between morning and evening are they destroyed; They perish for ever, and none regardeth it.
From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, they perish forever.
21 The excellency that is in them is torn away; They die before they have become wise.”
Has their excellence not been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!”
