Job 4
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
Then spake Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?
If one attempt a word with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can refrain from speaking?
3 Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.
Behold, thou hast admonished many; Thou hast strengthened feeble hands;
4 The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.
Thy words have upheld him that was falling, And thou hast given strength to feeble knees.
5 But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.
But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art confounded!
6 Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope — the perfection of thy ways?
Is not thy fear of God thy hope, And the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence?
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 have the righteous been cut off?
8 As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
According to what I have seen, they who plough iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same.
9 From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.
By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed.
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 fierce lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.
12 And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.
A word was once secretly brought to me, And mine ear caught a whisper thereof.
13 In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
Amid thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men,
14 Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
A fear and a horror came upon me, Which made all my bones to shake.
15 And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;
Then a spirit passed before my face, The hair of my flesh rose on end;
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 its form I could not discern; An image was before mine eyes; There was silence, and I heard a voice:
17 'Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?
“Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'
Behold, he putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And his angels he chargeth with frailty.
19 Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)
What then are they who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten!
20 From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.
Between morning and evening are they destroyed; They perish for ever, and none regardeth it.
21 Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!
The excellency that is in them is torn away; They die before they have become wise.”
