Job 8
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
And Bildad the Shuhite answers and says:
2 “How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.
“Until when do you speak these things? And a strong wind—sayings of your mouth?
3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
Does God pervert judgment? And does the Mighty One pervert justice?
4 When your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to their rebellion.
If your sons have sinned before Him, And He sends them away, By the hand of their transgression,
5 But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy,
If you seek for God early, And make supplication to the Mighty,
6 if you are pure and upright, even now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate.
If you [are] pure and upright, Surely now He wakes for you, And has completed The habitation of your righteousness.
7 Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish.
And your beginning has been small, And your latter end is very great.
8 Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.
For inquire, please, of a former generation, And prepare for a search of their fathers,
9 For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow.
For we [are] of yesterday, and we do not know, For our days [are] a shadow on earth.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding?
Do they not show you—speak to you, And from their heart bring forth words?
11 Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water?
Does a rush rise without a marsh? A reed increase without water?
12 While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up quicker than grass.
While it [is] in its budding—uncropped, Even before any herb it withers.
13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.
So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane perishes,
14 His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web.
Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.
15 He leans on his web, but it gives way; he holds fast, but it does not endure.
He leans on his house—and it does not stand, He takes hold on it—and it does not abide.
16 He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden.
He [is] green before the sun, And over his garden his branch goes out.
17 His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones.
His roots are wrapped by a heap, He looks for a house of stones.
18 If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
If [one] destroys him from his place, Then it has feigned concerning him, I have not seen you!
19 Surely this is the joy of his way; yet others will spring from the dust.
Behold, this [is] the joy of His way, And from the dust others spring up.
20 Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.
Behold, God does not reject the perfect, Nor takes hold on the hand of evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy.
While He fills your mouth with laughter, And your lips with shouting,
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
Those hating you put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!”
