Job 4
New King James Version
Eliphaz: Job Has Sinned
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?
But who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Surely you have instructed many,
And you (A)have strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you (B)have strengthened the [a]feeble knees;
5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled.
6 Is not (C)your reverence (D)your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, (E)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
8 Even as I have seen,
(F)Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And (G)the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 (H)The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
13 (I)In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and (J)trembling,
Which made all my bones shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood 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 saying:
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 If He (K)puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error,
19 How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth?
20 (L)They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.
21 Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.’
Footnotes
- Job 4:4 Lit. bending
Giobbe 4
Nuova Riveduta 2006
Rimprovero di Elifaz a Giobbe
4 (A)Allora Elifaz di Teman rispose e disse:
2 «Se provassimo a dirti una parola, ti darebbe fastidio? Ma chi potrebbe trattenere le parole?
3 Tu ne hai ammaestrati molti, hai fortificato le mani stanche;
4 e le tue parole hanno rialzato chi stava cadendo, hai rafforzato le ginocchia vacillanti;
5 e ora che il male piomba su di te, ti lasci abbattere; ora che è giunto fino a te, sei tutto smarrito.
6 Il tuo timor di Dio non ti dà fiducia, e l’integrità della tua vita non è la tua speranza?
7 Ricorda: quale innocente perì mai? Dove furono mai distrutti gli uomini retti?
8 Io per me ho visto che coloro che arano iniquità e seminano tormenti, ne mietono i frutti.
9 Al soffio di Dio essi periscono, dal vento della sua ira sono consumati.
10 Spenta è la voce del ruggente, sono spezzati i denti dei leoncelli.
11 Perisce per mancanza di preda il forte leone, e restano dispersi i piccini della leonessa.
12 (B)«Una parola mi è furtivamente giunta, e il mio orecchio ne ha colto il lieve sussurro.
13 Tra i pensieri delle visioni notturne, quando un sonno profondo cade sui mortali,
14 uno spavento mi prese, un tremore, che mi fece fremer tutte le ossa.
15 Uno spirito mi passò davanti e i peli mi si rizzarono addosso.
16 Si fermò, ma non riconobbi il suo sembiante; una figura mi stava davanti agli occhi e udii una voce sommessa che diceva:
17 “Può il mortale essere giusto davanti a Dio? Può l’uomo essere puro davanti al suo Creatore?
18 Ecco, Dio non si fida dei suoi servi[a] e trova difetti nei suoi angeli;
19 quanto più in quelli che stanno in case d’argilla, che hanno per fondamento la polvere e sono schiacciati al pari delle tignole!
20 Fra la mattina e la sera sono infranti; periscono per sempre, senza che nessuno se ne accorga.
21 La corda della loro tenda è strappata, e muoiono senza possedere la saggezza”.
Footnotes
- Giobbe 4:18 Suoi servi, cioè gli spiriti celesti; cfr. Eb 1:14.
Job 4
English Standard Version
Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many,
and you have (A)strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
and you have (B)made firm the feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
it touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 (C)Is not your fear of God[a] your (D)confidence,
and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember: (E)who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
8 As I have seen, those who (F)plow iniquity
and sow trouble reap the same.
9 By (G)the breath of God they perish,
and by (H)the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
(I)the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily;
my ear received (J)the whisper of it.
13 Amid (K)thoughts from (L)visions of the night,
when (M)deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling,
which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face;
the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance.
(N)A form was before my eyes;
there was silence, then I heard (O)a voice:
17 (P)‘Can mortal man be in the right before[b] God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants (Q)he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who dwell in houses of (R)clay,
whose foundation is in (S)the dust,
who are crushed like[c] (T)the moth.
20 Between (U)morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;
they perish forever (V)without anyone regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,
(W)do they not die, and that without wisdom?’
Job 4
King James Version
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
9 By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.
12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.
13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:
16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
20 They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006 Società Biblica di Ginevra
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
