Job 4
1 Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 Hast thou been often spoken to in distress? but who shall endure the force of thy words?
Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?
3 For whereas thou hast instructed many, and hast strengthened the hands of the weak one,
Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.
4 and hast supported the failing with words, and hast imparted courage to feeble knees.
The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.
5 Yet now [that] pain has come upon thee, and touched thee, thou art troubled.
But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Is not thy fear [founded] in folly, thy hope also, and the mischief of thy way?
Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope — the perfection of thy ways?
7 Remember then who has perished, being pure? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed?
Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?
8 Accordingly as I have seen men ploughing barren places, and they that sow them will reap sorrows for themselves.
As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
9 They shall perish by the command of the Lord, and shall be utterly consumed by the breath of his wrath.
From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.
10 The strength of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the exulting cry of serpents are quenched.
The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.
11 The old lion has perished for want of food, and the lions' whelps have forsaken one another.
An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.
12 But if there had been any truth in thy words, none of these evils would have befallen thee. Shall not mine ear receive excellent [revelations] from him?
And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.
13 But [as when] terror falls upon men, with dread and a sound in the night,
In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
14 horror and trembling seized me, and caused all my bones greatly to shake.
Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
15 And a spirit came before my face; and my hair and flesh quivered.
And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;
16 I arose and perceived it not: I looked, and there, was no form before my eyes: but I only heard a breath and a voice, [saying],
It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:
17 What, shall a mortal be pure before the Lord? or a man be blameless in regard to his works?
'Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?
18 Whereas he trust not in his servants, and perceives perverseness in his angels.
Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'
19 But [as for] them that dwell in houses of clay, of whom we also are formed of the same clay, he smites them like a moth.
Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)
20 And from the morning to evening they no longer exist: they have perished, because they cannot help themselves.
From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.
21 For he blows upon them, and they are withered: they have perished for lack of wisdom.
Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!
