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? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong 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 have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression;

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

If thou wouldest seek to God early, 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.

Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter 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 enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

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 they not 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 grow without mire? can the flag grow without water?

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

While it is still green, 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 hypocrite’s hope 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 shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be 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 it fast, 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 branch shooteth forth in 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, and 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.

If he shall be destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, 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 grow.

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 a perfect man, neither will he help the evildoers:

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

Till he shall fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

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.