Job 8
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
The Baldad the Suhite answered, and said:
2 How long will you say these things, and how long will the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
How long wilt thou speak these things, and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?
Doth God pervert judgment, or doth the Almighty overthrow that which is just?
4 If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.
Although thy children have sinned against him, and he hath left them in the hand of their iniquity:
5 If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;
Yet if thou wilt arise early to God, and wilt beseech the Almighty:
6 If you are clean and upright; then he will certainly be moved to take up your cause, and will make clear your righteousness by building up your house again.
If thou wilt walk clean and upright, he will presently awake onto thee, and will make the dwelling of thy justice peaceable:
7 And though your start was small, your end will be very great.
Insomuch, that if thy former things were small, thy latter things would be multiplied exceedingly.
8 Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:
For inquire of the former generation, and search diligently into the memory of the fathers:
9 (For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade: )
(For we are but of yesterday, and are ignorant that our days upon earth are but a shadow: )
10 Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you?
And they shall teach thee: they shall speak to thee, and utter words out of their hearts.
11 Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?
Can the rush be green without moisture? or a sedge-bush grow without water?
12 When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.
When it is yet in flower, and is not plucked up with the hand, it withereth before all herbs.
13 So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:
Even so are the ways of all that forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish:
14 Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.
His folly shall not please him, and his trust shall be like the spider’s web.
15 He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing.
He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand: he shall prop it up, and it shall not rise:
16 He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.
He seemeth to have moisture before the sun cometh, and at his rising his blossom shall shoot forth.
17 His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.
His roots shall be thick upon a heap of stones, and among the stones he shall abide.
18 If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.
If one swallow him up out of his place, he shall deny him, and shall say: I know thee not.
19 Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place.
For this is the joy of his way, that others may spring again out of the earth.
20 Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.
God will not cast away the simple, nor reach out his hand to the evildoer:
21 The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.
Until thy mouth be filled with laughter, and thy lips with rejoicing.
22 Your haters will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the sinner will not be seen again.
They that hate thee, shall be clothed with confusion: and the dwelling of the wicked shall not stand.
