Job 4

¹Then spake Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

²If one attempt a word with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can refrain from speaking?

³Behold, thou hast admonished many; Thou hast strengthened feeble hands;

⁴Thy words have upheld him that was falling, And thou hast given strength to feeble knees.

⁵But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art confounded!

⁶Is not thy fear of God thy hope, And the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence?

⁷Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where have the righteous been cut off?

⁸According to what I have seen, they who plough iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same.

⁹By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed.

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

¹¹The fierce lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

¹²A word was once secretly brought to me, And mine ear caught a whisper thereof.

¹³Amid thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men,

¹⁴A fear and a horror came upon me, Which made all my bones to shake.

¹⁵Then a spirit passed before my face, The hair of my flesh rose on end;

¹⁶It stood still, but its form I could not discern; An image was before mine eyes; There was silence, and I heard a voice:

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

¹⁸Behold, he putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And his angels he chargeth with frailty.

¹⁹What then are they who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten!

²⁰Between morning and evening are they destroyed; They perish for ever, and none regardeth it.

²¹The excellency that is in them is torn away; They die before they have become wise."

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

³Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

⁴Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

⁵But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

⁷Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

⁸Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

⁹By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

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

¹¹The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.

¹²Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

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

¹⁴Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

¹⁵Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

¹⁶It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

¹⁷Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

¹⁸Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

¹⁹How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

²⁰They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

²¹Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.