Job 4

First Series of Speeches

Eliphaz Speaks

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 Should anyone try to speak with you
when you are exhausted?
Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Indeed, you have instructed many
and have strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have steadied the one who was stumbling
and braced the knees that were buckling.
5 But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.
6 Isn't your piety your confidence,
and the integrity of your life your hope?
7 Consider: who has perished when he was innocent?
Where have the honest been destroyed?
8 In my experience, those who plow injustice
and those who sow trouble reap the same.
9 They perish at a [single] blast from God
and come to an end by the breath of His nostrils.
10 The lion may roar and the fierce lion growl,
but the fangs of young lions are broken.

11 The strong lion dies if [it catches] no prey,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

12 A word was brought to me in secret;
my ears caught a whisper of it.
13 Among unsettling thoughts from visions in the night,
when deep sleep descends on men,
14 fear and trembling came over me
and made all my bones shake.
15 A wind passed by me,
and I shuddered with fear.
16 [A figure] stood there,
but I could not recognize its appearance;
a form loomed before my eyes.
I heard a quiet voice:
17 "Can a person be more righteous than God,
or a man more pure than his Maker?"
18 If God puts no trust in His servants
and He charges His angels with foolishness,
19 how much more those who dwell in clay houses,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like a moth!
20 They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk;
they perish forever while no one notices.

21 Are their tent cords not pulled up?
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