Job 4

Eliphaz Says the Innocent Do Not Suffer

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But ^awho can refrain ^{▼▼Lit in words}from speaking?
3 “Behold, ^cyou have taught many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
4 “Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,
And you have strengthened ^{▼▼Lit knees giving way}feeble knees.
5 “But now it comes to you, and you ^eare impatient;
It ^ftouches you, and you are horrified.
6 “Is your ^{▼▼Or reverence for
,} ^hfear of God not ⁱyour confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Remember now, ^jwho ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
8 “According to what I have seen, ^kthose who ^{▼▼I.e., devise}plow wrongdoing
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9 “By ^mthe breath of God they perish,
And ⁿby the ^{▼▼Lit wind}blast of His anger they come to an end.
10 “The ^proaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken out.
11 “The ^qlion perishes for lack of prey,
And the ^rcubs of the lioness are scattered.

12 “Now a word ^swas brought to me secretly,
And my ear received a ^twhisper of it.
13 “Amid disquieting ^uthoughts from visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on people,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made ^{▼▼Lit the multitude of}all my bones shake.
15 “Then a ^{▼▼Or wind passed over}spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh stood up.
16 “Something was standing still, but I could not recognize its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can ^xmankind be righteous ^{▼▼Lit from}before God?
Can a man be pure ^{▼▼Lit from}before his ^aaMaker?
18 ‘ ^abHe puts no trust even in His servants;
And He accuses His angels of error.
19 ‘How much more those who live in ^achouses of clay,
Whose ^adfoundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 ‘ ^aeBetween morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unregarded, they ^afperish forever.
21 ‘Is their ^agtent-cord not pulled out within them?
They die, yet ^ahwithout wisdom.’