Job 8
1 But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said:
Then answered Bildad the Shuchite, and said,
2 How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?
How long wilt thou speak these things? and [let] like a mighty wind be the words of thy mouth?
3 Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?
Should God pervert justice? or should the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 And if now your children have sinned against him, and he has dismissed them into the power of their iniquity,
If thy children have sinned against him, then did he send them off through the means of their transgression.
5 even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.
If thou wilt earnestly seek for God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,
If thou become pure and upright: surely then will he watch over thee, and restore thy righteous habitation.
7 so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.
And thy beginning will have been small; because thy latter end will grow up greatly.
8 For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,
For ask, I pray thee, of an earlier generation, and prepare thyself to [stand by] the research of their fathers; —
9 (of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow, )
For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because a [mere] shadow are our days upon earth; —
10 and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.
Behold, these will truly teach thee, they will speak unto thee, and out of their very heart will they bring forth words:
11 Can the marsh plant live without moisture? Or can sedges grow without water?
Can the bulrush shoot upward without mire? can the meadow-grass grow up without water?
12 When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.
It is yet in its greenness, not yet cut down, when it withereth before any other grass.
13 Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.
So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite will perish:
14 His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.
[It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.
15 He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.
He leaneth against his house, but it shall not stand: he layeth fast hold on it, but it shall not remain erect.
16 He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.
He is in full vigor before the sun, and over his garden his shoots go forth.
17 His roots will crowd together over a heap of stones, and among the stones he will remain.
His roots are twisted about a stoneheap, he selecteth [for himself] a place of stones.
18 If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”
But when men destroy him from his place, then will it deny him, saying, I have never seen thee.
19 For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.
Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the [same] dust others will grow up.
20 God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,
Behold, God will not reject a perfect man, and will not hold fast by their hand the evil-doers:
21 even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with joyful shouting.
22 Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.
They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
