Job 4

Eliphaz: Innocent Do Not Suffer

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite ^{▼▼ Lit answered and said}answered, 2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But ^bwho can refrain ^{▼▼ Lit in words}from speaking?
3 “Behold ^dyou have admonished many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
4 “Your words have ^{▼▼ Lit caused}helped the tottering to stand,
And you have strengthened ^{▼▼ Lit bowing}feeble knees.
5 “But now it has come to you, and you ^gare impatient;
It ^htouches you, and you are dismayed.
6 “Is not your ^{▼▼ Or reverence
,} ^jfear of God ^kyour confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Remember now, ^lwho ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
8 “According to what I have seen, ^mthose who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9 “By ⁿthe breath of God they perish,
And ^oby the ^{▼▼ Lit wind}blast of His anger they come to an end.
10 “The ^qroaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 “The ^rlion perishes for lack of prey,
And the ^swhelps of the lioness are scattered.

12 “Now a word ^twas brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a ^uwhisper of it.
13 “Amid disquieting ^vthoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made ^{▼▼ Lit the multitude of}all my bones shake.
15 “Then a ^{▼▼ Or breath passed over}spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.
16 “It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can ^ymankind be just ^{▼▼ Lit from}before God?
Can a man be pure ^{▼▼ Lit from}before his ^abMaker?
18 ‘ ^acHe puts no trust even in His servants;
And against His angels He charges error.
19 ‘How much more those who dwell in ^adhouses of clay,
Whose ^aefoundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 ‘ ^afBetween morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unobserved, they ^agperish forever.
21 ‘Is not their ^ahtent-cord plucked up within them?
They die, yet ^aiwithout wisdom.’