Job 4

1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

1Then Eliphaz, the Themanite, answered, and said:

1And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

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

2If we begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it ill; but who can withhold the words he hath conceived?

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?

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

3Behold thou hast taught many, and thou hast strengthened the weary hands:

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

4Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast made firm the feeble knees.

4Thy words have confirmed them that were staggering, and thou hast strengthened the trembling knees:

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

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

5But now the scourge is come upon thee, and thou faintest: It hath touched thee, and thou art troubled.

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 thy fear of God thy confidence, Andthe integrity of thy ways thy hope?

6Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, and the perfection of thy ways?

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

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

7Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? or when were the just destroyed?

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

8According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow trouble, reap the same.

8On the contrary, I have seen those who work iniquity, and sow sorrows, and reap them,

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 they perish, And by the blast of his anger are they consumed.

9Perishing by the blast of God, and consumed by the spirit of his wrath.

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

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

10The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the whelps of lions, are broken:

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 perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

11The tiger hath perished for want of prey, and the young lions are scattered abroad.

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

12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, And mine ear received a whisper thereof.

12Now there was a word spoken to me in private, and my ears by stealth, as it were, received the veins of its whisper.

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

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

13In the horror of a vision by night, when deep sleep is wont to hold men,

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

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

14Fear seized upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were affrighted:

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

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

15And when a spirit passed before me, the hair of my flesh stood up.

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

16It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; A form was before mine eyes: There wassilence, and I heard a voice, saying,

16There stood one whose countenance I knew not, an image before my eyes, and I heard the voice, as it were, of a gentle wind.

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:

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

17Shall man be justified in comparison of God, or shall a man be more pure than his maker?

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

18Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants; And his angels he chargeth with folly:

18Behold, they that serve him are not steadfast, and in his angels he found wickedness:

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

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

19How much more shall they that dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation, be consumed as with the moth?

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

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

20From morning till evening they shall be cut down: and because no one understandeth, they shall perish for ever.

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

21Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.

21And they that shall be left, shall be taken away from them: they shall die, and not in wisdom.

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