Job 4

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 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: —

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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