Job 4
1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 If one attempt a word unto thee, wilt thou be impatient? But, to restrain speech, who, can endure?
If we essay to address a word to thee, wilt thou be wearied? yet who is able to refrain from speaking?
3 Lo! thou hast admonished many, and, slack hands, hast thou been wont to uphold:
Behold, thou hast [ere this] corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen.
4 Him that was stumbling, have thy words raised up, and, sinking knees, hast thou strengthened.
Him that stumbled thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor.
5 But, now, it cometh upon thee, and thou despairest, It smiteth even thee, and thou art dismayed.
Yet now, when it cometh to thee, thou art wearied: it toucheth even thee, and thou art terrified.
6 Is not, thy reverence, thy confidence? And is not, thy hope, the very integrity of thy ways?
Is not then thy fear of God still thy confidence, thy hope equal to the integrity of thy ways?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who, being innocent, hath perished, or when, the upright, have been cut off.
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous destroyed?
8 So far as I have seen, They who plow for iniquity and sow misery, reap the same:
Even as I have seen, that those who plough wrong-doing, and sow trouble, have to reap the same.
9 By the blast of GOD, they perish, And, by the breath of his nostrils, are they consumed:
Before the breathing of God they perish, and before the breath of his nostrils they come to their end.
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 perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness have to scatter themselves abroad.
12 But, unto me, something was brought by stealth, —and mine ear caught a whispering of the same:
But to me a word came by stealth, and my ear took in a scarcely perceptible whisper thereof.
13 When there were thoughts, from visions of the night, —When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In intense thoughts out of 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:
Dread came over me, with trembling, and it caused all my bones to shudder.
15 Then, a spirit, over my face, floated along, The hair of my flesh bristled-up:
Then flitted a spirit past before my face; the hair of my body 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 recognize its form; a figure was before my eyes, a slight whisper, then a [louder] voice I heard, saying,
17 Shall, mortal man, be more just than GOD? Or a man be more pure than, his Maker?
Can a mortal be more righteous than God? or can 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, in his servants he putteth no trust, 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 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 Betwixt morning and evening, are they broken in pieces, With none to save, they utterly perish:
From morning to evening are they broken to pieces: without laying it [to heart] they perish for ever.
21 Is not their tent-rope within them, torn away? They die, disrobed of wisdom!
Behold, their excellency which is in them is torn away: they die, and this without wisdom.
