Job 4
Jubilee Bible 2000
4 ¶ Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered and said,
2 If we attempt to commune with thee, thou wilt 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 upheld the one that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
5 But now that it is come upon thee, thou art grieved; it touches thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the integrity 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, those that plow iniquity and sow wickedness, reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the spirit of his anger they are 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 perishes for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.
12 ¶ Now the matter was also hidden from me, but my ear has perceived a little of it.
13 In imaginations of visions of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men,
14 fear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before me which caused the hair of my flesh to stand up.
16 A ghost stood in front of me, whose face I did not recognize, and I heard it say,
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 slaves, and his angels he charged with folly.
19 How much more with those that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who shall be crushed by the moth!
20 They are destroyed from morning to evening; they perish for ever without anyone regarding it.
21 Does their beauty perish with them? They die and do not know.
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.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
