Job 4

Eliphaz: Innocent Do Not Suffer

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 "If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But who can refrain from speaking?

3 "Behold you have admonished many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.

4 "Your words have helped the tottering to stand,
And you have strengthened feeble knees.

5 "But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
It touches you, and you are dismayed.

6 "Is not your tfear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 "Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?

8 "According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.

9 "By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.

10 "The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

11 "The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

12 "Now a word was brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a whisper of it.

13 "Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,

14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made all my bones shake.

15 "Then a tspirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.

16 "It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:

17 'Can mankind be just before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?

18 'He puts no trust even in His servants;
And against His angels He charges error.

19 'How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!

20 'Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unobserved, they perish forever.

21 'Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them?
They die, yet 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