Job 4
What Happens in This Chapter
Job's friend Eliphaz is the first of the three friends to answer Job. He reminds Job that Job once comforted other people, and he asks why Job cannot take his own comfort now. Eliphaz says that in his experience people who do wrong reap trouble, and innocent people are not destroyed. He then describes a night vision in which a voice told him that no human being is more pure than God, and that people are fragile creatures made of dust.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
1Then Eliphaz spoke. He was Job's friend from a place called Teman.
2If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?
2"If someone says a word to you, will it wear you out? But who can keep quiet?"
3Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
3"You have taught many people. You have made weak hands strong again."
4Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
4"Your words held up people who were about to fall. You steadied shaky knees."
5But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
5"But now trouble has come to you, and you are worn out. It touches you, and you are upset."
6Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
6"You respect God, and you live an honest life. Isn't that what you trust and hope in?"
The KJV word "fear" here does not mean being scared. It means deep respect for God.
7Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
7"Please think about this. Has anyone innocent ever been destroyed? Where were good people ever wiped out?"
8Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
8"Here is what I have seen. People who plow up evil and plant trouble harvest the same thing."
9By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
9"God breathes, and they are gone. His angry breath sweeps them away."
10The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
10"A lion may roar. A fierce lion may growl. But the young lions' teeth get broken."
11The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.
11"The old lion dies because it finds nothing to hunt. The lion's cubs are scattered everywhere."
12Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.
12"A word came to me in secret. My ear caught only a whisper of it."
13In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
13"It came in troubling dreams at night, when people are in deep sleep."
14Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
14"Fear came over me, and I shook. All my bones trembled."
15Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:
15"Then a spirit slipped past my face. The hair on my body stood up."
16It 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,
16"It stood still, but I could not tell what it looked like. A shape was there before my eyes. It was quiet. Then I heard a voice say:"
17Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
17"'Can a person be more right than God? Can anyone be more pure than the God who made him?'"
18Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
18"'God does not fully trust even those who serve him. He finds fault even with his angels.'"
19How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
19"'So what about people who live in houses of clay? They are built on dust. They can be crushed as easily as a moth.'"
"Houses of clay" is a picture for human bodies, made from dust. The KJV says "crushed before the moth," which means crushed as easily as a moth is.
20They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
20"'They are broken to pieces between morning and evening. They are gone forever, and no one even notices.'"
21Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.
21"'The ropes of their tent are pulled up, and it falls. They die without ever gaining wisdom.'"
The KJV says "their excellency which is in them go away." The old Hebrew word points to a tent cord. When the cords are pulled up, the tent falls down.
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