Job 4
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?
If anyone tries to speak with you, will you be impatient? But who can stop himself from speaking?
3 Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.
See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened weak hands.
4 The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.
Your words have supported him who was falling; you have made feeble knees firm.
5 But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.
But now trouble has come to you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled.
6 Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope — the perfection of thy ways?
Is not your fear your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?
Think about this, please: Who has ever perished when innocent? Or when were the upright people ever cut off?
8 As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap it.
9 From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.
By the breath of God they perish; by the blast of his anger 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, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions—they are broken.
11 An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.
The old lion perishes for lack of victims; the cubs of the lioness are scattered everywhere.
12 And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.
Now a certain matter was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper about it.
13 In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
Then came thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on people.
14 Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
It was at night when fear and trembling came upon me, and all my bones shook.
15 And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;
Then a spirit passed before my face, and the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:
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,
17 'Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?
“Can a mortal man be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'
See, if God puts no trust in his servants; if he accuses his angels of folly,
19 Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)
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?
20 From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.
Between morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without anyone noticing them.
21 Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!
Are not their tent cords plucked up among them? They die; they die without wisdom.
