Job 8
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite spoke up and said,
And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: —
2 “How much longer will you go on talking like this? The words coming out of your mouth are a lot of hot air!
Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind — sayings of thy mouth?
3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?
4 Your children must have sinned against him, and so they deserved the punishment he inflicted on them.
If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,
5 But if you pray to God and ask for his help,
If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,
6 if you live a clean life and do what is right, then he would act to make things right for you in your home.
If pure and upright thou [art], Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness.
7 Though you began with next to nothing, you will end up with so much!
And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.
8 Why don't you ask what previous generations discovered, examine what our ancestors found out? We were born yesterday and don't know anything!
For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,
9 Our days on earth fade as quickly as a passing shadow.
(For of yesterday we [are], and we know not, For a shadow [are] our days on earth.)
10 Won't they teach you and explain what they know?
Do they not shew thee — speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?
11 Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds grow without water?
'Doth a rush wise without mire? A reed increase without water?
12 Even without being cut, while they are still flowering, they wither faster than grass.
While it [is] in its budding — uncropped, Even before any herb it withereth.
13 This is what happens to everyone who forgets God. The hopes of those who live without God come to nothing.
So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane doth perish,
14 Their confidence is like holding on to a flimsy spider's web.
Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.
15 They look to their home to provide security, but it provides no support. They try to hang onto it, but it doesn't last.
He leaneth on his house — and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it — and it abideth not.
16 Those who live without God are like a luxuriant plant growing in the sun, spreading its shoots all over the garden.
Green he [is] before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.
17 It twists its roots down through the stones, and holds on to rock.
By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.
18 But when it's cut down, the place where it was disowns it, saying, ‘I never even saw you.’
If [one] doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!
19 Its life is over, and others spring up from the earth to take its place.
Lo, this [is] the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'
20 Look, God doesn't reject someone who is innocent, and he doesn't support those who are guilty.
Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.
21 He can make you laugh with happiness again and shout for joy.
While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting,
22 Those who hate you will be put to shame, and the place where the wicked live will be destroyed.”
Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!
