Job 4
1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 If one attempt a word unto thee, wilt thou be impatient? But, to restrain speech, who, can endure?
“If someone ventures to talk 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, 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 supported him who was falling, you have made the feeble knees firm.
5 But, now, it cometh upon thee, and thou despairest, It smiteth even thee, and thou art dismayed.
But now it has come to 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?
Isn’t your piety your confidence? Isn’t the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who, being innocent, hath perished, or when, the upright, have been cut off.
“Remember, now, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?
8 So far as I have seen, They who plow for iniquity and sow misery, reap the same:
According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble, 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. By the blast of his anger 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, 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. The cubs of the lioness 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. My ear received a whisper of it.
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 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 couldn’t discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes. Silence, then 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 puts no trust in his servants. He charges his angels with error.
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 those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!
20 Betwixt morning and evening, are they broken in pieces, With none to save, they utterly perish:
Between morning and evening they are destroyed. They perish forever without any regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-rope within them, torn away? They die, disrobed of wisdom!
Isn’t their tent cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.’
