Job 4 – Eliphaz Speaks: Can the Innocent Perish?
Job's friend offers his first, gentle theory for why Job is suffering.
Responding to the despair of Job 3, Eliphaz the Temanite speaks first among Job's three friends, gently noting that Job has strengthened others in the past and should now draw on that same faith. He argues from experience that the truly innocent do not perish and that suffering points to hidden wrongdoing.
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
The roryng of a lioun, and the vois of a lionesse, and the teeth of `whelpis of liouns ben al to-brokun.
Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte.
Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.