Job 4

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

Then 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 we assay to commune with you, will you be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

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

Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.

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

Your words have upheld him that was falling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees.

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

But now it is come on you, and you faint; it touches you, and you are troubled.

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

Is not this your fear, your confidence, your hope, and the uprightness of your ways?

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

Remember, I pray you, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous 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 plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

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

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath 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 roaring 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 perishes for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.

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

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a little thereof.

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

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,

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

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

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

Then 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, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before my eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

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 more pure than his maker?

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

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged 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 less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

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

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

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

Does not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.