Job 4

1  THEN ELIPHAZ the Temanite answered and said,2  If we venture to converse with you, will you be offended? Yet who can restrain himself from speaking?3  Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.4  Your words have held firm him who was falling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees.5  But now it is come upon you, and you faint and are grieved; it touches you, and you are troubled and dismayed.6  Is not your [reverent] fear of God your confidence and the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?7  Think [earnestly], I beg of you: who, being innocent, ever perished? Or where were those upright and in right standing with God cut off?8  As I myself have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble and mischief reap the same.9  By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.10  The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken.11  The old and strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.12  Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it.13  In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,14  Fear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones shake.15  Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up!16  [The spirit] stood still, but I could not discern the appearance of it. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying,17  Can mortal man be just before God, or be more right than He is? Can a man be pure before his Maker, or be more cleansed than He is? 18  Even in His [heavenly] servants He puts no trust or confidence, and His angels He charges with folly and error--19  How much more those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.20  Between morning and evening they are destroyed; without anyone noticing it they perish forever.21  Is not their tent cord plucked up within them [so that the tent falls]? Do they not die, and that without [acquiring] wisdom?

Job 4

Eliphaz Begins to Speak

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:t

2 “If someonet should attemptt a word with you,
will you be impatient?t
But who can refrain from speakingt?

3 Look,t you have instructedt many;
you have strengthenedt feeble hands.t

4 Your words have supportedt those
who stumbled,t
and you have strengthened the knees
that gave way.ts

5 But now the same thingt comes to you,
and you are discouraged;t
it strikes you,
and you are terrified.t

6 Is not your pietyt your confidence,t
and your blameless ways your hope?ts

7 Call to mind now:s
Who,t being innocent, ever perished?t
And where were upright peoplet ever destroyed?t

8 Even as I have seen,t those who plows iniquityt
and those who sow trouble reap the same.t

9 By the breatht of God they perish,s
and by the blastt of his anger they are consumed.

10 There ist the roaring of the lions
and the growlingt of the young lion,
but the teeth of the young lions are broken.t

11 The mighty liont perishest for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lionesst are scattered.

Ungodly Complainers Provoke God’s Wrath

12 “Now a word was secretlyt broughtt to me,
and my ear caughtt a whispert of it.

13 In the troubling thoughtst of the dreamst in the night
when a deep sleept falls on men,

14 a tremblingt gripped me – and a terror! –
and made all my bones shake.t

15 Then a breath of airt passest by my face;
it makest the hair of my flesh stand up.

16 It stands still,s
but I cannot recognizet its appearance;
an image is before my eyes,
and I hear a murmuring voice:s

17 “Ist a mortal mant righteoust beforet God?
Or a man pures before his Creator?t

18 Ift Godt puts no trust int his servantss
and attributest follyt to his angels,

19 how much more to those who live in houses of clay,s
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushedt liket a moth?

20 They are destroyedt between morning and evening;t
they perish forevers without anyone regarding it.t

21 Is not their excess wealtht taken away from them?st
They die,s yet without attaining wisdom.ts