Job 4 New American Standard Bible

Eliphaz Says the Innocent Do Not Suffer

4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

²“If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But ^(A)who can refrain ^[a]from speaking?
³Behold, ^(B)you have taught many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
⁴Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,
And you have strengthened ^[b]feeble knees.
⁵But now it comes to you, and you ^(C)are impatient;
It ^(D)touches you, and you are horrified.
⁶Is your ^[c]^(E)fear of God not ^(F)your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷“Remember now, ^(G)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
⁸According to what I have seen, ^(H)those who ^[d]plow wrongdoing
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
⁹By ^(I)the breath of God they perish,
And ^(J)by the ^[e]blast of His anger they come to an end.
¹⁰The ^(K)roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken out.
¹¹The ^(L)lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the ^(M)cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹²“Now a word ^(N)was brought to me secretly,
And my ear received a ^(O)whisper of it.
¹³Amid disquieting ^(P)thoughts from visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on people,
¹⁴Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made ^[f]all my bones shake.
¹⁵Then a ^[g]spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh stood up.
¹⁶Something was standing still, but I could not recognize its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
¹⁷‘Can ^(Q)mankind be righteous ^[h]before God?
Can a man be pure ^[i]before his ^(R)Maker?
¹⁸^(S)He puts no trust even in His servants;
And He accuses His angels of error.
¹⁹How much more those who live in ^(T)houses of clay,
Whose ^(U)foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
²⁰^(V)Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unregarded, they ^(W)perish forever.
²¹Is their ^(X)tent-cord not pulled out within them?
They die, yet ^(Y)without wisdom.’