Job 4

Eliphaz Begins to Speak¹

4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:²

4:2 “If someone³ should attempt⁴ a word with you,

will you be impatient?⁵

But who can refrain from speaking⁶?

4:3 Look,⁷ you have instructed⁸ many;

you have strengthened⁹ feeble hands.¹⁰

4:4 Your words have supported¹¹ those

who stumbled,¹²

and you have strengthened the knees

that gave way.¹³

4:5 But now the same thing¹⁴ comes to you,

and you are discouraged;¹⁵

it strikes you,

and you are terrified.¹⁶

4:6 Is not your piety¹⁷ your confidence,¹⁸

and your blameless ways your hope?¹⁹

4:7 Call to mind now:²⁰

Who,²¹ being innocent, ever perished?²²

And where were upright people²³ ever destroyed?²⁴

4:8 Even as I have seen,²⁵ those who plow²⁶ iniquity²⁷

and those who sow trouble reap the same.²⁸

4:9 By the breath²⁹ of God they perish,³⁰

and by the blast³¹ of his anger they are consumed.

4:10 There is³² the roaring of the lion³³

and the growling³⁴ of the young lion,

but the teeth of the young lions are broken.³⁵

4:11 The mighty lion³⁶ perishes³⁷ for lack of prey,

and the cubs of the lioness³⁸ are scattered.

Ungodly Complainers Provoke God’s Wrath

4:12 “Now a word was secretly³⁹ brought⁴⁰ to me,

and my ear caught⁴¹ a whisper⁴² of it.

4:13 In the troubling thoughts⁴³ of the dreams⁴⁴ in the night

when a deep sleep⁴⁵ falls on men,

4:14 a trembling⁴⁶ gripped me – and a terror! –

and made all my bones shake.⁴⁷

4:15 Then a breath of air⁴⁸ passes⁴⁹ by my face;

it makes⁵⁰ the hair of my flesh stand up.

4:16 It stands still,⁵¹

but I cannot recognize⁵² its appearance;

an image is before my eyes,

and I hear a murmuring voice:⁵³

4:17 “Is⁵⁴ a mortal man⁵⁵ righteous⁵⁶ before⁵⁷ God?

Or a man pure⁵⁸ before his Creator?⁵⁹

4:18 If⁶⁰ God⁶¹ puts no trust in⁶² his servants⁶³

and attributes⁶⁴ folly⁶⁵ to his angels,

4:19 how much more to those who live in houses of clay,⁶⁶

whose foundation is in the dust,

who are crushed⁶⁷ like⁶⁸ a moth?

4:20 They are destroyed⁶⁹ between morning and evening;⁷⁰

they perish forever⁷¹ without anyone regarding it.⁷²

4:21 Is not their excess wealth⁷³ taken away from them?⁷⁴

They die,⁷⁵ yet without attaining wisdom.⁷⁶

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