Job 8
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
Then responded Bildad the Shuhite, 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? Or, as a mighty wind, shall be the sayings 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, the Almighty, pervert righteousness?
4 If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.
Though, thy children, sinned against him, and he delivered them into the hand of their transgression,
5 If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;
Yet, if, thou thyself, wilt diligently seek unto GOD, —and, unto the Almighty, wilt make supplication;
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, pure and upright, thou thyself, art, surely, now, will he answer thy prayer, and will prosper thy righteous habitation:
7 And though your start was small, your end will be very great.
So shall thy beginning appear small, —when, thy latter end, he shall greatly increase!
8 Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:
For inquire, I pray thee, of a former generation, and prepare thyself for 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, of yesterday, are, we, and cannot know, for, a shadow, are our days upon earth:
10 Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you?
Shall, they, not teach thee—tell thee, and, out of their memory, 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 paper-reed grow up, without a marsh? Or the rush grow up, without water?
12 When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.
Though while still, in its freshness, it be not plucked off, yet, before any kind of grass, it doth wither:
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, shall be the latter end of all who forget GOD, and, the hope of the impious, shall perish:
14 Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.
Whose trust shall be contemptible, —and, a spider’s web, his confidence:
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 upon his house, and it will not stand, he holdeth it fast, and it will not remain erect.
16 He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.
Full of moisture he is, before the sun, and, over his garden, his shoot goeth forth:
17 His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.
Over a heap, his roots are entwined, a place of stones, he descrieth;
18 If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.
If one destroy him out of his place, then will it disown him [saying] —I have not seen thee.
19 Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place.
Lo! that, is the joy of his way, —and, out of the dust, shall others spring up.
20 Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.
Lo! GOD, will not reject a blameless man, neither will he grasp the hand of evil-doers:
21 The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.
At length he shall fill with laughter thy mouth, and thy lips, with a shout of triumph:
22 Your haters will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the sinner will not be seen again.
They who hate thee, shall be clothed with shame, but, the tent of the lawless, shall not be!
