Job 4

¹And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

²If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?

³Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong;

⁴He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.

⁵But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled.

⁶Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?

⁷Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?

⁸What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.

⁹By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.

¹⁰Though the noise of the lion and the sounding of his voice, may be loud, the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.

¹²A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears.

¹³In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,

¹⁴Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;

¹⁵And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff:

¹⁶Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:

¹⁷May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?

¹⁸Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels;

¹⁹How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect;

²⁰Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.

²¹If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

²"If someone ventures to talk with you, will you be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

³Behold, you have instructed many, you have strengthened the weak hands.

⁴Your words have supported him who was falling, You have made firm the feeble knees.

⁵But now it is come to you, and you faint. It touches you, and you are troubled.

⁶Isn't your piety your confidence? Isn't the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷"Remember, now, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?

⁸According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity, and sow trouble, reap the same.

⁹By the breath of God they perish. By the blast of his anger are they consumed.

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

¹¹The old lion perishes for lack of prey. The cubs of the lioness are scattered abroad.

¹²"Now a thing was secretly brought to me. My ear received a whisper of it.

¹³In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,

¹⁴fear came on me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.

¹⁵Then a spirit passed before my face. The hair of my flesh stood up.

¹⁶It stood still, but I couldn't discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes. Silence, then I heard a voice, saying,

¹⁷'Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?

¹⁸Behold, he puts no trust in his servants. He charges his angels with error.

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

²⁰Between morning and evening they are destroyed. They perish forever without any regarding it.

²¹Isn't their tent cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.'