Job 4
Eliphaz SpeaksBe Patient and Listen, Job
1 Then Eliphaz from Teman replied to Job,2 “If someone tries to talk to you, will you become impatient?But who can keep from talking?3 Certainly, you have instructed many people:When hands were weak, you made them strong.4 When someone stumbled, you lifted him up with your words.When knees were weak, you gave them strength.5 But trouble comes to you, and you’re impatient.It touches you, and you panic.6 Doesn’t your fear of God give you confidenceand your lifetime of integrity give you hope?
Only Evil People Suffer
7 “Now think about this:Which innocent person ever died an untimely death?Find me a decent person who has been destroyed.8 Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery,they gathered its harvest.9 God destroys them with his breathand kills them with a blast of his anger.10 Though the roar of the lionand the growl of the ferocious lion is loud,the young lions have had their teeth knocked out.11 The old lions die without any prey to eat,and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.12 “I was told something secretlyand heard something whispered in my ear.13 With disturbing thoughts from visions in the night,when deep sleep falls on people,14 fear and trembling came over me,and all my bones shook.15 A spirit passed in front of me.It made my hair stand on end.16 Something stood there.I couldn’t tell what it was.A vague image was in front of my eyes.I heard a soft voice:17 ‘Can any mortal be righteous to God?Can any human being be pure to his maker?’18 “You see, God doesn’t trust his own servants,and he accuses his angels of making mistakes.19 How much more will he accuse those who live in clay housesthat have their foundation in the dust.Those houses can be crushed quicker than a moth!20 From morning to evening, they are shattered.They will disappear forever without anyone paying attention.21 Haven’t the ropes of their tent been loosened?Won’t they die without 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