Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper

Job 4

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2 " If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?
But who can withhold himself from speaking? 3 Surely you have instructed many,
And you a have strengthened weak hands. 4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you b have strengthened the 1 feeble knees; 5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled. 6 Is not c your reverence d your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 "Remember now, e who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off? 8 Even as I have seen,
f Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same. 9 By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed. 10 The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And g the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11 h The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

12 "Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it. 13 i In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men, 14 Fear came upon me, and j trembling,
Which made all my bones shake. 15 Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood up. 16 It stood still,
But I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence;
Then I heard a voice saying: 17 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker? 18 If He k puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error, 19 How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth? 20 l They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding. 21 Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.'

Job 5

1 "Call out now;
Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn? 2 For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one. 3 a I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. 4 His sons are b far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And c there is no deliverer. 5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
2 Taking it even from the thorns,
3 And a snare snatches their 4 substance. 6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground; 7 Yet man is d born to 5 trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.

8 "But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause - 9 Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number. 10 e He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields. 11 f He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety. 12 g He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans. 13 He catches the h wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night. 15 But i He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand. 16 j So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.

17 "Behold, k happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. 18 l For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole. 19 m He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven n no evil shall touch you. 20 o In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the 6 power of the sword. 21 p You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes. 22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And q you shall not be afraid of the r beasts of the earth. 23 s For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. 24 You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. 25 You shall also know that t your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring u like the grass of the earth. 26 v You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season. 27 Behold, this we have w searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself."

  1. Cross References
    Isaiah 35:3
    Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.
  2. Cross References
    Isaiah 35:3
    Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.
  3. Cross References
    Job 1:1
    There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
  4. Cross References
    Proverbs 3:26
    For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.
  5. Cross References
    Job 8:20
    Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
    Job 36:6
    He does not preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to the oppressed.
    Job 36:7
    He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted.
    Psalms 37:25
    I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
  6. Cross References
    Job 15:31
    Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself, For futility will be his reward.
    Job 15:35
    They conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit.
    Proverbs 22:8
    He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.
    Hosea 10:13
    You have plowed wickedness; You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, Because you trusted in your own way, In the multitude of your mighty men.
    Galatians 6:7
    Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
  7. Cross References
    Job 5:15
    But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand.
    Psalms 58:6
    Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
  8. Cross References
    Job 29:17
    I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.
    Psalms 34:10
    The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
  9. Cross References
    Job 33:15
    In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds.
  10. Cross References
    Habakkuk 3:16
    When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops.
  11. Cross References
    Job 15:15
    If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight.
  12. Cross References
    Psalms 90:5
    You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
    Psalms 90:6
    In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.
  13. Cross References
    Psalms 37:35
    I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree.
    Psalms 37:36
    Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
    Jeremiah 12:1 - 3
    Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 119:155
    Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes.
  15. Cross References
    Psalms 109:12
    Let there be none to extend mercy to him, Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
  16. Cross References
    Job 14:1
    Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.
  17. Cross References
    Job 36:27 - 29
    For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist.
    Job 37:6 - 11
    For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth'; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
    Job 38:26
    To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, A wilderness in which there is no man.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 113:7
    He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap.
  19. Cross References
    Nehemiah 4:15
    And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
  20. Cross References
    Job 37:24
    Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.
    1 Corinthians 3:19
    For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness".
  21. Cross References
    Job 4:10
    The roaring of the lion, The voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
    Job 4:11
    The old lion perishes for lack of prey, And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
    Psalms 35:10
    All my bones shall say, "LORD, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?
  22. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:8
    He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, And He has set the world upon them.
    Psalms 107:41
    Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock.
    Psalms 107:42
    The righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth.
  23. Cross References
    Psalms 94:12
    Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, A...
    Proverbs 3:11
    My son, do not despise the chastening of the LO...
    Proverbs 3:12
    For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a ...
    Hebrews 12:5
    And you have forgotten the exhortation which sp...
    Hebrews 12:6
    For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourg...
    Revelation 3:19
    As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Theref...
  24. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 32:39
    Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
    1 Samuel 2:6
    The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.
    1 Samuel 2:7
    The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.
    Isaiah 30:26
    Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun will be sevenfold, As the light of seven days, In the day that the LORD binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound.
    Hosea 6:1
    Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
  25. Cross References
    Psalms 34:19
    Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
    Psalms 91:3
    Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.
    1 Corinthians 10:13
    No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
  26. Cross References
    Psalms 91:10
    No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.
    Proverbs 24:16
    For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
  27. Cross References
    Psalms 33:19
    To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.
    Psalms 33:20
    Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.
    Psalms 37:19
    They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
  28. Cross References
    Job 5:15
    But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand.
    Psalms 31:20
    You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.
  29. Cross References
    Psalms 91:13
    You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
    Isaiah 11:9
    They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.
    Isaiah 35:9
    No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there.
    Isaiah 65:25
    The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," Says the LORD.
    Ezekiel 34:25
    I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
  30. Cross References
    Hosea 2:18
    In that day I will make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, With the birds of the air, And with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely.
  31. Cross References
    Psalms 91:12
    In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
  32. Cross References
    Psalms 112:2
    His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.
  33. Cross References
    Psalms 72:16
    There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, On the top of the mountains; Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon; And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
  34. Cross References
    Proverbs 9:11
    For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.
    Proverbs 10:27
    The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
  35. Cross References
    Psalms 111:2
    The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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