Job 4
International Standard Version
Eliphaz: the Innocent Don’t Suffer
4 In reply, Eliphaz from Teman answered:
2 “Will you get offended if somebody tries to talk to you?
Who can keep from speaking at a time like this?[a]
3 Look! You’ve admonished many people,[b]
and you’ve strengthened feeble hands.
4 A word from you has supported those who have stumbled,
and has strengthened faltering knees.
5 “But now it’s your turn,
and you’re the one who is worn out![c]
Now it’s striking you,
and you’re dismayed!
6 “Your fear of God has been your confidence, hasn’t it?
The integrity of your life has been your hope, hasn’t it?
7 Now please think:
Who has ever perished when they’re innocent?
Where have the upright been destroyed?
8 It’s been my experience that those who plow the soil of[d] iniquity
and those who sow the seed of[e] trouble will reap their harvest![f]
9 They perish by the breath of God;
they are consumed by the storm that is[g] his anger.[h]
10 “The lioness may roar,
and the lion cub may growl;
but even the ivory teeth of the full grown lion are broken.
11 Full grown lions die when they cannot find prey;
that’s when the lion cubs are scattered.
12 “A message was confided[i] to me;
my ear caught a whisper of it.
13 Disquieting thoughts from dreams at night;
when deep sleep falls on everyone.[j]
14 A fear fell upon me, along with trembling
that caused all my bones to shake in terror.[k]
15 A spirit glided past me
and made the hair on my skin[l] to bristle.
16 It remained standing,
but I couldn’t recognize its appearance.
A form appeared before my eyes;
At first there was[m] silence, and then this voice:
17 ‘Can a mortal person[n] be more righteous than God?
Or can the purity of the valiant exceed that of his maker?’[o]
18 “Indeed, since he doesn’t trust his servants,[p]
since he charges[q] his angels with error,
19 how much less confidence[r] does he have
in those who dwell in houses of clay;
who were formed from a foundation in dust
and can perish[s] like a moth?
20 They are defeated between morning and evening;
they perish forever—and no one notices!
21 Their wealth[t] perishes with them, doesn’t it?
They die, and do so without having wisdom, don’t they?”
Footnotes
- Job 4:2 The Heb. lacks at a time like this
- Job 4:3 The Heb. lacks people
- Job 4:5 Or impatient
- Job 4:8 The Heb. lacks the soil of
- Job 4:8 The Heb. lacks the seed of
- Job 4:8 The Heb. lacks their harvest
- Job 4:9 Or the breath of
- Job 4:9 Or anger
- Job 4:12 Or was delivered in secret
- Job 4:13 Lit. men
- Job 4:14 Or dread
- Job 4:15 Lit. flesh
- Job 4:16 The Heb. lacks At first there was
- Job 4:17 Lit. a man
- Job 4:17 The quotation possibly continues through v 21.
- Job 4:18 Cf. Job 15:15
- Job 4:18 Or lay upon
- Job 4:19 The Heb. lacks confidence
- Job 4:19 Lit. can crush them
- Job 4:21 Or remnants, left over
Job 4
GOD’S WORD Translation
Eliphaz Speaks: Be Patient and Listen, Job
4 Then Eliphaz from Teman replied ⌞to Job⌟,
2 “If someone tries to talk to you, will you become impatient?
But who can keep from talking?
3 Certainly, you have instructed many people:
When hands were weak, you made them strong.
4 When someone stumbled, you lifted him up with your words.
When knees were weak, you gave them strength.
5 But trouble comes to you, and you’re impatient.
It touches you, and you panic.
6 Doesn’t your fear of God give you confidence
and your lifetime of integrity give you hope?
Only Evil People Suffer
7 “Now think about this:
Which innocent person ⌞ever⌟ died ⌞an untimely death⌟?
Find me a decent person who has been destroyed.
8 Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery,
they gathered its harvest.
9 God destroys them with his breath
and kills them with a blast of his anger.
10 Though the roar of the lion
and the growl of the ferocious lion ⌞is loud⌟,
the young lions have had their teeth knocked out.
11 The old lions die without any prey ⌞to eat⌟,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “I was told something secretly
and heard something whispered in my ear.
13 With disturbing thoughts from visions in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,
14 fear and trembling came over me,
and all my bones shook.
15 A spirit passed in front of me.
It made my hair stand on end.
16 Something stood there.
I couldn’t tell what it was.
A vague image was in front of my eyes.
I heard a soft voice:
17 ‘Can ⌞any⌟ mortal be righteous to God?
Can ⌞any⌟ human being be pure to his maker?’
18 “You see, God doesn’t trust his own servants,
and he accuses his angels of making mistakes.
19 How much more will he accuse those who live in clay houses
that have their foundation in the dust.
Those houses can be crushed quicker than a moth!
20 From morning to evening, they are shattered.
They will disappear forever without anyone paying attention.
21 Haven’t the ropes of their tent been loosened?
Won’t they die without wisdom?
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