Job 4:4–9

4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,

and you have made firm the feeble knees.

5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;

it touches you, and you are dismayed.

6 Is not your fear of God your confidence,

and the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished?

Or where were the upright cut off?

8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same.

9 By the breath of God they perish,

and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling,

And thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest;

It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence,

Thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent?

Or where were the righteous cut off?

8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity,

And sow wickedness, reap the same.

9 By the blast of God they perish,

And by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

4 Your words have supported those who were falling;

you encouraged those with shaky knees.

5 But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart.

You are terrified when it touches you.

6 Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence?

Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?

7 “Stop and think! Do the innocent die?

When have the upright been destroyed?

8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble

and cultivate evil will harvest the same.

9 A breath from God destroys them.

They vanish in a blast of his anger.

4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,

And you have strengthened the feeble knees;

5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;

It touches you, and you are troubled.

6 Is not your reverence your confidence?

And the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?

Or where were the upright ever cut off?

8 Even as I have seen,

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.

4 Your words have comforted those who fell,

and you have strengthened those who could not stand.

5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;

trouble hits you, and you are terrified.

6 You should have confidence because you respect God;

you should have hope because you are innocent.

7 “Remember that the innocent will not die;

honest people will never be destroyed.

8 I have noticed that people who plow evil

and plant trouble, harvest it.

9 God’s breath destroys them,

and a blast of his anger kills them.

4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling,

And thou hast made firm the feeble knees.

5 But now it is come unto thee, and thou faintest;

It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

6 Is not thy fear of God thy confidence,

And the integrity of thy ways thy hope?

7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent?

Or where were the upright cut off?

8 According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity,

And sow trouble, reap the same.

9 By the breath of God they perish,

And by the blast of his anger are they consumed.

4 Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees: 5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. 6 Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?

7 Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same. 9 By the breath of †God they perish, and by the blast of his nostrils are they consumed.

4 When someone stumbled, you lifted him up with your words. 

When knees were weak, you gave them strength. 

5 But trouble comes to you, and you’re impatient. 

It touches you, and you panic. 

6 Doesn’t your fear of God give you confidence 

and your lifetime of integrity give you hope? 

7 “Now think about this: 

Which innocent person ⸤ever⸥ died ⸤an untimely death⸥? 

Find me a decent person who has been destroyed. 

8 Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery, 

they gathered its harvest. 

9 God destroys them with his breath 

and kills them with a blast of his anger. 

4 Your words have steadied the one who was stumbling

and braced the knees that were buckling.

5 But now that this has happened to you,

you have become exhausted.

It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

6 Isn’t your piety your confidence,

and the integrity of your life your hope?

7 Consider: who has perished when he was innocent?

Where have the honest been destroyed?

8 In my experience, those who plow injustice

and those who sow trouble reap the same.

9 They perish at a single blast from God

and come to an end by the breath of His nostrils.

4 Your words have supported those who were stumbling,

and you have made firm the feeble knees.

5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;

it touches you, and you are dismayed.

6 Is not your fear of God your confidence

and the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?

Or where were the upright cut off?

8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same.

9 By the breath of God they perish,

and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

4 Your words have raised up the one who stumbles,

and you have strengthened knees giving way.

5 But now it has come to you, and you are worn out;

it touches you, and you are horrified.

6 Is not your fear in God your confidence?

Is not your hope even the integrity of your ways?

7 “Think now, who has perished who is innocent?

Or where are the upright destroyed?

8 Just as I have seen, plowers of mischief

and sowers of trouble will reap it.

9 By the breath of God they perish,

and by the blast of his anger they come to an end.

4 Your words helped those who had fallen down.

You made shaky knees strong.

5 Now trouble comes to you. And you are unhappy about it.

It strikes you down. And you are afraid.

6 Shouldn’t you worship God and trust in him?

Shouldn’t your honest life give you hope?

7 “Here’s something to think about.

Have blameless people ever been wiped out?

Have honest people ever been completely destroyed?

8 Here’s what I’ve observed.

People gather a crop from what they plant.

If they plant evil and trouble, that’s what they will harvest.

9 The breath of God destroys them.

The blast of his anger wipes them out.

4 “Your words have helped the tottering to stand,

And you have strengthened feeble knees.

5 “But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;

It touches you, and you are dismayed.

6 “Is not your fear of God your confidence,

And the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?

Or where were the upright destroyed?

8 “According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity

And those who sow trouble harvest it.

9 “By the breath of God they perish,

And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.