Job 8
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuchite, and said,
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and [let] like a mighty wind be the words of thy mouth?
“How long will you say these things? How long will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Should God pervert justice? or should the Almighty pervert righteousness?
Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 If thy children have sinned against him, then did he send them off through the means of their transgression.
Your children have sinned against him; we know this, for he gave them into the hand of their sins.
5 If thou wilt earnestly seek for God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
But suppose you diligently sought God and presented your request to the Almighty.
6 If thou become pure and upright: surely then will he watch over thee, and restore thy righteous habitation.
If you are pure and upright, then he would surely stir himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.
7 And thy beginning will have been small; because thy latter end will grow up greatly.
Even though your beginning was small, still your final condition would be much greater.
8 For ask, I pray thee, of an earlier generation, and prepare thyself to [stand by] the research of their fathers; —
Please ask the former generations, and give your attention to what our ancestors learned.
9 For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because a [mere] shadow are our days upon earth; —
(We were only born yesterday and know nothing because our days on 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:
Will they not teach you and tell you? Will they not speak words from their hearts?
11 Can the bulrush shoot upward without mire? can the meadow-grass grow up without water?
Can papyrus grow without a marsh? Can reeds grow without water?
12 It is yet in its greenness, not yet cut down, when it withereth before any other grass.
While they are still green and not cut down, they wither before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite will perish:
So also are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish.
14 [It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.
His confidence will break apart, and his trust is as weak as 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 leans on his house, but it will not support him; he takes hold of it, but it does not stand.
16 He is in full vigor before the sun, and over his garden his shoots go forth.
Under the sun he is green, and his shoots go out over his entire garden.
17 His roots are twisted about a stoneheap, he selecteth [for himself] a place of stones.
His roots are wrapped about the heaps of stone; they look for good places among the rocks.
18 But when men destroy him from his place, then will it deny him, saying, I have never seen thee.
But if this person is destroyed out of his place, then that place will deny him and say, 'I never saw you.'
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the [same] dust others will grow up.
See, this is the “joy” of such a person's behavior; other plants will sprout out of the same soil in his place.
20 Behold, God will not reject a perfect man, and will not hold fast by their hand the evil-doers:
See, God will not cast away an innocent man; neither will he take the hand of evildoers.
21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with joyful shouting.
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.
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 shame; the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
