Job 4

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

1And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

1And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

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

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

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 taught many, and thou hast strengthened the weary hands:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope--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 when were the just destroyed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 lioness, and the teeth of the whelps of lions, are broken:

10The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been 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 tiger hath perished for want of prey, and the young lions are scattered abroad.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19Also--the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation <FI>is<Fi> in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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