Job 4
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,
2 If anyone tries to speak with you, will you be impatient? But who can stop himself from speaking?
If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?
3 See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened weak hands.
Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong;
4 Your words have supported him who was falling; you have made feeble knees firm.
He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.
5 But now trouble has come to you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled.
But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled.
6 Is not your fear your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?
7 Think about this, please: Who has ever perished when innocent? Or when were the upright people ever cut off?
Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?
8 According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap it.
What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.
9 By the breath of God they perish; by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.
10 The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions—they are broken.
Though the noise of the lion and the sounding of his voice, may be loud, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The old lion perishes for lack of victims; the cubs of the lioness are scattered everywhere.
The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.
12 Now a certain matter was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper about it.
A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears.
13 Then came thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on people.
In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,
14 It was at night when fear and trembling came upon me, and all my bones shook.
Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;
15 Then a spirit passed before my face, and the hair of my flesh stood up.
And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff:
16 The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, and I heard a voice that said,
Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:
17 “Can a mortal man be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?
18 See, if God puts no trust in his servants; if he accuses his angels of folly,
Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels;
19 how much more is this true of those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed sooner than a moth?
How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect;
20 Between morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without anyone noticing them.
Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.
21 Are not their tent cords plucked up among them? They die; they die without wisdom.
If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?
