Job 4

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —

Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

2 Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?

If one attempt a word unto thee, wilt thou be impatient? But, to restrain speech, who, can endure?

3 Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.

Lo! thou hast admonished many, and, slack hands, hast thou been wont to uphold:

4 The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.

Him that was stumbling, have thy words raised up, and, sinking knees, hast thou strengthened.

5 But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.

But, now, it cometh upon thee, and thou despairest, It smiteth even thee, and thou art dismayed.

6 Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope — the perfection of thy ways?

Is not, thy reverence, thy confidence? And is not, thy hope, the very integrity of thy ways?

7 Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?

Remember, I pray thee, who, being innocent, hath perished, or when, the upright, have been cut off.

8 As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!

So far as I have seen, They who plow for iniquity and sow misery, reap the same:

9 From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.

By the blast of GOD, they perish, And, by the breath of his nostrils, are they consumed:

10 The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.

[Notwithstanding] the roaring of the lion, and the noise of the howling lion, yet, the teeth of the fierce lions, are broken:

11 An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.

The strong lion perishing for lack of prey, Even the whelps of the lioness, are scattered.

12 And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.

But, unto me, something was brought by stealth, —and mine ear caught a whispering of the same:

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

When there were thoughts, from visions of the night, —When deep sleep falleth upon men,

14 Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.

Dread, came upon me, and trembling, The multitude of my bones, it put in dread:

15 And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;

Then, a spirit, over my face, floated along, The hair of my flesh bristled-up:

16 It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:

It stood still, but I could not distinguish its appearance, I looked, but there was no form before mine eyes, —A whispering voice, I heard: —

17 'Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?

Shall, mortal man, be more just than GOD? Or a man be more pure than, his Maker?

18 Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'

Lo! in his own servants, he trusteth not, and, his own messengers, he chargeth with error:

19 Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)

How much more the dwellers in houses of clay, which, in the dust, have their foundation, which are crushed sooner than a moth:

20 From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.

Betwixt morning and evening, are they broken in pieces, With none to save, they utterly perish:

21 Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!

Is not their tent-rope within them, torn away? They die, disrobed of wisdom!