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 such things? How long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Should God pervert justice? or should the Almighty pervert righteousness?
Will God pervert judgment? Or will the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If thy children have sinned against him, then did he send them off through the means of their transgression.
As thy children sinned against him, He hath given them up to their transgression.
5 If thou wilt earnestly seek for God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
But if thou wilt seek early to 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 wilt be pure and upright, Surely he will yet arise for thee, And prosper thy righteous habitation;
7 And thy beginning will have been small; because thy latter end will grow up greatly.
So that thy beginning shall be small, And thy latter end very great.
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 age, And mark what hath been searched out by their fathers;
9 For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because a [mere] shadow are our days upon earth; —
(For we are of yesterday and know nothing, Since our days upon the earth are but 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:
Will not they instruct thee, and tell thee, And utter words from their understanding?
11 Can the bulrush shoot upward without mire? can the meadow-grass grow up without water?
“Can the paper-reed grow up without mire? Can the bulrush grow without water?
12 It is yet in its greenness, not yet cut down, when it withereth before any other grass.
While it is yet in its greenness, and is 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:
Such is the fate of all who forget God; So perisheth the hope of the ungodly.
14 [It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.
His confidence shall come to nought, And his trust shall prove 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, and it shall not stand; He shall lay fast hold on it, but it shall not endure.
16 He is in full vigor before the sun, and over his garden his shoots go forth.
He is in full green before the sun, And his branches shoot forth over his garden;
17 His roots are twisted about a stoneheap, he selecteth [for himself] a place of stones.
His roots are entwined about the heap, And he seeth the place of stones;
18 But when men destroy him from his place, then will it deny him, saying, I have never seen thee.
When he shall be destroyed from his place, It shall deny him, saying, 'I never saw thee.'
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the [same] dust others will grow up.
Lo! such is the joy of his course! And others shall spring up from his place”
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 upright man; Nor will he help the evil-doers.
21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with joyful shouting.
While he filleth thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with gladness,
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 dwelling-place of the wicked shall come to nought.
