Chapter 4

  And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,  

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  If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?  

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  Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong;  

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  He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.  

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  But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled.  

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  Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?  

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  Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?  

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  What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.  

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  By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.  

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  Though the noise of the lion and the sounding of his voice, may be loud, the teeth of the young lions are broken.  

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  The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.  

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  A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears.  

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  In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,  

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  Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;  

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  And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff:  

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  Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:  

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  May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?  

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  Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels;  

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  How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect;  

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  Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.  

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  If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?  

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