Job 4

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:

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

“Has one tried a word with you? You are weary! And who is able to keep in words?

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

Behold, you have instructed many, And feeble hands you make strong.

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

Your words raise up the stumbling one, And you strengthen bowing knees.

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

But now, it comes to you, And you are weary; It strikes to you, and you are troubled.

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

Is your reverence not your confidence? Your hope—the perfection of your ways?

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

Now remember, Who, being innocent, has perished? And where have the upright been cut off?

8 So far as I have seen, They who plow for iniquity and sow misery, 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, are they consumed:

From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger [are] 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 a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.

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

An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness separate.

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

And a thing is secretly brought to me, And my ear receives a little of it.

13 When there were 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 Dread, came upon me, and trembling, The multitude of my bones, it put in dread:

Fear has met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.

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

And a spirit passes before my face, The hair of my flesh stands 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 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? Or a man be more pure than, his Maker?

Is mortal man more righteous than God? Is a man cleaner than his Maker?

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

Behold, He puts no credence in His servants, Nor sets praise in His messengers.

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

Also—the inhabitants of houses of clay (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth).

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

From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, they perish forever.

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

Has their excellence not been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!”