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Job 4
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Job 4
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Eliphaz Speaks: Job Has Sinned
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 ‘If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended?
But who can keep from speaking?
3 See, you have instructed many;
you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have supported those who were stumbling,
and you have 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 Is not your fear of God your confidence,
and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 ‘Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
8 As I have seen, those who plough iniquity
and sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish,
and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
and the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.
12 ‘Now a word came stealing to me,
my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on mortals,
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 bristled.
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 mortals be righteous before[a] God?
Can human beings be pure before[b] their Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like a moth.
20 Between morning and evening they are destroyed;
they perish for ever without any regarding it.
21 Their tent-cord is plucked up within them,
and they die devoid of wisdom.”
Job 4
New International Version
Job 4
New International Version
Eliphaz
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:
2 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?(B)
3 Think how you have instructed many,(C)
how you have strengthened feeble hands.(D)
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;(E)
you have strengthened faltering knees.(F)
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;(G)
it strikes(H) you, and you are dismayed.(I)
6 Should not your piety be your confidence(J)
and your blameless(K) ways your hope?
7 “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?(L)
Where were the upright ever destroyed?(M)
8 As I have observed,(N) those who plow evil(O)
and those who sow trouble reap it.(P)
9 At the breath of God(Q) they perish;
at the blast of his anger they are no more.(R)
10 The lions may roar(S) and growl,
yet the teeth of the great lions(T) are broken.(U)
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,(V)
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.(W)
12 “A word(X) was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper(Y) of it.(Z)
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,(AA)
14 fear and trembling(AB) seized me
and made all my bones shake.(AC)
15 A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my body stood on end.(AD)
16 It stopped,
but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
and I heard a hushed voice:(AE)
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?(AF)
Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?(AG)
18 If God places no trust in his servants,(AH)
if he charges his angels with error,(AI)
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,(AJ)
whose foundations(AK) are in the dust,(AL)
who are crushed(AM) more readily than a moth!(AN)
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
unnoticed, they perish forever.(AO)
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,(AP)
so that they die(AQ) without wisdom?’(AR)
Job 4
International Children’s Bible
Job 4
International Children’s Bible
Eliphaz Speaks
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “If someone tried to speak with you, would you be upset?
I cannot keep from speaking.
3 Think about how many people you have taught.
Think about how you have made weak hands strong.
4 Your words have comforted those who fell.
And you have given strength to those who could not stand.
5 But now trouble comes to you. And you are discouraged.
Trouble hits you, and you are terrified.
6 You should trust in your respect for God.
You should have hope because you are innocent.
7 “Think about this now: A person who has not done wrong will not die.
Honest people were never destroyed.
8 I have noticed that people who plow evil
and plant trouble harvest it.
9 God’s breath destroys them.
A blast of his anger kills them.
10 The lions roar and growl.
But the teeth of great lions are broken.
11 The lion dies because he can’t find an animal to eat.
So the cubs of the female lion are scattered.
12 “A word was brought to me in secret.
My ears heard a whisper of it.
13 It was during troublesome dreams in the night
when men are in deep sleep.
14 I was shaking with fear.
All my bones were shaking.
15 A spirit glided past my face.
The hair on my body stood up in fear.
16 The spirit stopped,
but I could not see what it was.
A shape stood before my eyes.
And I heard a quiet voice.
17 It said, ‘Can a man be holy in the presence of God?
Can a man be pure before the one who made him?
18 God does not trust his servants.
He even blames his angels for mistakes.
19 So he puts even more blame on people who live in clay houses.[a]
The foundations of these houses are made of dust.
They can be crushed more easily than a moth.
20 Between dawn and sunset they are broken to pieces.
They are not noticed. They die and are gone forever.
21 The ropes of their tents are pulled up.
And they die without wisdom.’
Footnotes
- 4:19 clay houses This is probably talking about people’s bodies.
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.