Job 4
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?
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 instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.
Behold, thou hast [ere this] corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen.
4 The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.
Him that stumbled thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor.
5 But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.
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? Thy hope — the perfection 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? And where have the upright been cut off?
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous destroyed?
8 As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
Even as I have seen, that those who plough wrong-doing, and sow trouble, have to reap the same.
9 From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.
Before the breathing of God they perish, and before the breath of his nostrils they come to their end.
10 The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.
The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.
The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness have to scatter themselves abroad.
12 And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.
But to me a word came by stealth, and my ear took in a scarcely perceptible whisper thereof.
13 In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
In intense thoughts out of visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men:
14 Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
Dread came over me, with trembling, and it caused all my bones to shudder.
15 And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;
Then flitted a spirit past before my face; the hair of my body stood up:
16 It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:
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 'Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?
Can a mortal be more righteous than God? or can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'
Behold, in his servants he putteth no trust, and his angels he chargeth with folly:
19 Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before 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 From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.
From morning to evening are they broken to pieces: without laying it [to heart] they perish for ever.
21 Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!
Behold, their excellency which is in them is torn away: they die, and this without wisdom.
