Job 8
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:
But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said:
2 How long wilt thou speak these things, seeing that the words of thy mouth are as a mighty wind?
How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?
3 Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?
4 If thy children sinned against Him, He delivered them into the hand of their transgression.
And if now your children have sinned against him, and he has dismissed them into the power of their iniquity,
5 If thou wouldest seek earnestly unto God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.
6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now He would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,
7 And though thy beginning was small, yet thy end should greatly increase.
so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.
8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out —
For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,
9 For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow —
(of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow, )
10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.
11 Can the rush shoot up without mire? Can the reed-grass grow without water?
Can the marsh plant live without moisture? Or can sedges grow without water?
12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.
When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.
13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the godless man shall perish;
Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.
14 Whose confidence is gossamer, and whose trust is a spider's web.
His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.
He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.
16 He is green before the sun, and his shoots go forth over his garden.
He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.
17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, he beholdeth the place of stones.
His roots will crowd together over a heap of stones, and among the stones he will remain.
18 If he be destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him: 'I have not seen thee.'
If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others spring.
For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.
20 Behold, God will not cast away an innocent man, neither will He uphold the evil-doers;
God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,
21 Till He fill thy mouth with laughter, and thy lips with shouting.
even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.
22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.
