Job 4
Job's friend Eliphaz speaks to him
4:1Now Job's friend Eliphaz tries to explain to Job why bad things have happened. He says that God is kind to good people and he punishes people who are bad. So if bad things have happened, Job must have done wrong things.
1 Eliphaz, who came from Teman, decided to speak. He said this to Job:
2 ‘Please be patient and listen to what I say.
Allow me to speak, because I cannot remain quiet.
3 Listen! You have taught many people.
You have helped weak people to be strong.
4 With your words, you have saved people from danger.
You have helped people who are in trouble to be brave.
5 But now you are the person who has trouble.
You yourself are not patient.
Trouble has come to you and you feel afraid.
6 But you respect God's authority,
so you should trust him.
You live in an honest way,
so you should still hope for better things.
7 Think about this:
People who are not guilty of sin do not suddenly die.
God does not destroy people who do good things.
8 I will tell you what I have seen.
Trouble comes to people who do wicked things.
They receive the punishment that they deserve.
9 God destroys them with his breath.
His anger is like a storm that blows them away.
10 Lions are strong animals that roar loudly.
But if God breaks a lion's teeth, it cannot eat.
11 Even the strongest lion will die if it has nothing to eat.
The young lions will run away from their mother to find food.
4:11Eliphaz says that God will destroy wicked people, even if they are very strong.
12 One night I heard a quiet voice.
Someone spoke to me and told me a secret.
13 I was asleep, but my dreams woke me.
14 I was very afraid.
Even my bones were shaking.
15 A wind was blowing over my face.
The hair on my skin stood up.
16 Something stopped and it stood in front of me.
I could not recognize its shape.
Then I heard a quiet voice say:
17 “No human is righteous when he stands in front of God.
He cannot be pure in front of his Maker.
18 God knows that even his angels make mistakes.
They may do foolish things.
19 God used clay to make bodies for us who are humans.
We came from the dust of the earth.
We are as weak as moths.
20 We are alive in the morning,
and when evening comes we may be dead.
People disappear for ever.
No one even knows about it.
21 They no longer have their valuable things.
They suddenly die and they are still not wise.” ’
