Job 8
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
Then answered Bildad the Shuchite, 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 [let] like a mighty wind be the words of thy mouth?
3 Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?
Should God pervert justice? or should the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.
If thy children have sinned against him, then did he send them off through the means of their transgression.
5 If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;
If thou wilt earnestly seek for God, and make thy supplication to 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 become pure and upright: surely then will he watch over thee, and restore thy righteous habitation.
7 And though your start was small, your end will be very great.
And thy beginning will have been small; because thy latter end will grow up greatly.
8 Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:
For ask, I pray thee, of an earlier generation, and prepare thyself to [stand by] the research of their 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 know nothing, because a [mere] shadow are our days upon earth; —
10 Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you?
Behold, these will truly teach thee, they will speak unto thee, and out of their very heart will they bring forth words:
11 Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?
Can the bulrush shoot upward without mire? can the meadow-grass grow up without water?
12 When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.
It is yet in its greenness, not yet cut down, when it withereth before any other grass.
13 So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:
So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite will perish:
14 Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.
[It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.
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 leaneth against his house, but it shall not stand: he layeth fast hold on it, but it shall not remain erect.
16 He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.
He is in full vigor before the sun, and over his garden his shoots go forth.
17 His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.
His roots are twisted about a stoneheap, he selecteth [for himself] a place of stones.
18 If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.
But when men destroy him from his place, then will it deny him, saying, I have never seen thee.
19 Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place.
Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the [same] dust others will grow up.
20 Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.
Behold, God will not reject a perfect man, and will not hold fast by their hand the evil-doers:
21 The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with joyful shouting.
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 shame; and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
