Job 18
1 And Bildad the Shuhite answers and says:
Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
2 “When do you set an end to words? Consider, and afterward we speak.
How long will it be before you have done talking? Get wisdom, and then we will say what is in our minds.
3 Why have we been reckoned as livestock? We have been defiled in your eyes!
Why do we seem as beasts in your eyes, and as completely without knowledge?
4 He is tearing himself in his anger. Is earth forsaken for your sake? And is a rock removed from its place?
But come back, now, come: you who are wounding yourself in your passion, will the earth be given up because of you, or a rock be moved out of its place?
5 Also, the light of the wicked is extinguished. And there does not shine a spark of his fire.
For the light of the sinner is put out, and the flame of his fire is not shining.
6 The light has been dark in his tent, And his lamp over him is extinguished.
The light is dark in his tent, and the light shining over him is put out.
7 The steps of his strength are restricted, And his own counsel casts him down.
The steps of his strength become short, and by his design destruction overtakes him.
8 For he is sent into a net by his own feet, And he habitually walks on a snare.
His feet take him into the net, and he goes walking into the cords.
9 A trap seizes on the heel, The designing prevails over him.
His foot is taken in the net; he comes into its grip.
10 His cord is hidden in the earth, And his trap on the path.
The twisted cord is put secretly in the earth to take him, and the cord is placed in his way.
11 Terrors have terrified him all around, And they have scattered him—at his feet.
He is overcome by fears on every side, they go after him at every step.
12 His sorrow is hungry, And calamity is ready at his side.
His strength is made feeble for need of food, and destruction is waiting for his falling footstep.
13 It consumes the parts of his skin, Death’s firstborn consumes his parts.
His skin is wasted by disease, and his body is food for the worst of diseases.
14 His confidence is drawn from his tent, And it causes him to step to the king of terrors.
He is pulled out of his tent where he was safe, and he is taken away to the king of fears.
15 It dwells in his tent—out of his provender, Sulfur is scattered over his habitation.
In his tent will be seen that which is not his, burning stone is dropped on his house.
16 From beneath his roots are dried up, And from above his crop is cut off.
Under the earth his roots are dry, and over it his branch is cut off.
17 His memorial has perished from the land, And he has no name on the street.
His memory is gone from the earth, and in the open country there is no knowledge of his name.
18 They thrust him from light to darkness, And cast him out from the habitable earth.
He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world.
19 He has no continuator, Nor successor among his people, And none is remaining in his dwellings.
He has no offspring or family among his people, and in his living-place there is no one of his name.
20 At this day, those [in the] west have been astonished, And those [in the] east have taken fright.
At his fate those of the west are shocked, and those of the east are overcome with fear.
21 Only these [are] dwelling places of the perverse, And this [is] the place God has not known.”
Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.
