OET-RV JOB chapter 4

This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

4:1 Elifaz’s first response to Iyyov

(4:1–14:22)

4 Then Elifaz (from Teman) replied:

2 If someone tries to talk with you, will it wear you out?

But who can resist answering?

3 Listen, you’ve instructed many other people.

And you’ve encouraged those who were weak.

4 Your words have encouraged those who were stumbling.

You’ve strengthened those whose knees were buckling.

5 But now it’s you in trouble and you’re depressed.

Troubles touch you and you’re discouraged.

6 Doesn’t your faith give you confidence?

What about your hope and your integrity?

7 Remember: Who has ever perished when they were innocent?[fn]

Or when were godly people ever destroyed?

8 Just like I’ve seen those who plant evil and sow mischief harvest it back again,

9 God’s breath causes them to perish,

and with a snort of his nose they come to an end.

10 The lion roars and the UNKNOWN-lion sounds his voice,

AND the teeth of the young lions are broken.

11 The UNKNOWN-lion starves to death because of a lack of prey,

and the lionesses cubs are scattered.

12 Now a message was brought secretly to me,

and my ears caught a whisper of it.

13 When troubled by thoughts from dreams in the night,

when people have fallen into deep sleep,

14 I was hit by fear and trembling—

my bones were shaking with fright.

15 A spirit passed over my face,

and the hairs on my body stood on end.

16 It stood still, but I didn’t recognise what it was.

There was an image in front of my eyes.

It was silent and then I heard a voice:

17 ‘Can a mortal human be innocent before God?

Can a person be more pure than the creator of people?‘[fn]

18 Listen, he doesn’t even trust his own servants,

and he accuses his own messengers of making mistakes.

19 How much less for those whose bodies were made from the clay,

whose foundations were made from the dust.

They’re crushed even easier than a moth is.

20 They’re destroyed from morning to evening.

They’re always dying even without anyone doing anything.

21 Their tent cords are pulled out on them.

They die and don’t even know why.

4:7 Don’t forget that this is Elifaz giving his opinions and advice, and not necessarily endorsed as theologically sound. See God’s disapproval of the words of Elifaz and his companions in Job 42:7-8.

4:17 All speech marks in Bible translations are added by the translators. It’s not certain from the text whether or not this was what ‘the voice’ said, and if it is (as we assumed), it’s not clear where ‘the voice’ stopped speaking and Elifaz resumes. (Many translations put it at the end of the chapter, but remember that chapter breaks are also rather arbitrary and not in the original manuscripts.)

OET-RV JOB Chapter 4