Job 8

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuchite, and said,

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and [let] like a mighty wind be the words of thy mouth?

How long wilt thou speak these things, seeing that the words of thy mouth are as a mighty wind?

3 Should God pervert justice? or should the Almighty pervert righteousness?

Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

4 If thy children have sinned against him, then did he send them off through the means of their transgression.

If thy children sinned against Him, He delivered them into the hand of their transgression.

5 If thou wilt earnestly seek for God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

If thou wouldest seek earnestly unto God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6 If thou become pure and upright: surely then will he watch over thee, and restore thy righteous habitation.

If thou wert pure and upright; surely now He would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7 And thy beginning will have been small; because thy latter end will grow up greatly.

And though thy beginning was small, yet thy end should greatly increase.

8 For ask, I pray thee, of an earlier generation, and prepare thyself to [stand by] the research of their fathers; —

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out —

9 For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because a [mere] shadow are our days upon earth; —

For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow —

10 Behold, these will truly teach thee, they will speak unto thee, and out of their very heart will they bring forth words:

Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

11 Can the bulrush shoot upward without mire? can the meadow-grass grow up without water?

Can the rush shoot up without mire? Can the reed-grass grow without water?

12 It is yet in its greenness, not yet cut down, when it withereth before any other grass.

Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite will perish:

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the godless man shall perish;

14 [It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.

Whose confidence is gossamer, and whose trust is a spider's web.

15 He leaneth against his house, but it shall not stand: he layeth fast hold on it, but it shall not remain erect.

He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.

16 He is in full vigor before the sun, and over his garden his shoots go forth.

He is green before the sun, and his shoots go forth over his garden.

17 His roots are twisted about a stoneheap, he selecteth [for himself] a place of stones.

His roots are wrapped about the heap, he beholdeth the place of stones.

18 But when men destroy him from his place, then will it deny him, saying, I have never seen thee.

If he be destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him: 'I have not seen thee.'

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the [same] dust others will grow up.

Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others spring.

20 Behold, God will not reject a perfect man, and will not hold fast by their hand the evil-doers:

Behold, God will not cast away an innocent man, neither will He uphold the evil-doers;

21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with joyful shouting.

Till He fill thy mouth with laughter, and thy lips with shouting.

22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.