Job 8
1 And Bildad the Shuhite answers and says:
Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
2 “Until when do you speak these things? And a strong wind—sayings of your mouth?
“Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
3 Does God pervert judgment? And does the Mighty One pervert justice?
Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
4 If your sons have sinned before Him, And He sends them away, By the hand of their transgression,
So, it is evident that your children have sinned against him, therefore he has caused them to be punished for evil things that they have done.
5 If you seek for God early, And make supplication to the Mighty,
But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
6 If you [are] pure and upright, Surely now He wakes for you, And has completed The habitation of your righteousness.
and if you are pure and honest/righteous, he will surely do something good for you and reward you by giving your family back to you and enabling you to prosper.
7 And your beginning has been small, And your latter end is very great.
And even though you [think that you] were not very prosperous/wealthy before, during the last part of your life you will become very wealthy.
8 For inquire, please, of a former generation, And prepare for a search of their fathers,
“I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
9 For we [are] of yesterday, and we do not know, For our days [are] a shadow on earth.
[It seems as though] we were born only yesterday and we know very little [HYP]; our time here on the earth [disappears quickly, like] a shadow [MET].
10 Do they not show you—speak to you, And from their heart bring forth words?
So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
11 Does a rush rise without a marsh? A reed increase without water?
Papyrus can certainly not [RHQ] grow in places where there is no marsh/swamp; reeds certainly cannot [RHQ] flourish/grow where there is no water.
12 While it [is] in its budding—uncropped, Even before any herb it withers.
[If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
13 So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane perishes,
Those who do not pay attention to what God says are like those [reeds]; godless people stop confidently expecting [that good things will happen to them].
14 Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.
The things they confidently expect to happen do not happen; things they trust [will help them] are [as fragile as] [MET] a spider’s web.
15 He leans on his house—and it does not stand, He takes hold on it—and it does not abide.
If they lean against a house (OR, trust in their wealth; OR, lean on a spider web), it does not (endure/protect them) [LIT]; they cling to things [to be protected], but those things do not remain firm.
16 He [is] green before the sun, And over his garden his branch goes out.
Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
17 His roots are wrapped by a heap, He looks for a house of stones.
The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
18 If [one] destroys him from his place, Then it has feigned concerning him, I have not seen you!
But if those plants are pulled out, [it is as though] the place where they were planted says ‘They were never here!’ [And that is what happens to wicked people who do not heed what God says].
19 Behold, this [is] the joy of His way, And from the dust others spring up.
Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
20 Behold, God does not reject the perfect, Nor takes hold on the hand of evildoers.
:So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
21 While He fills your mouth with laughter, And your lips with shouting,
He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
22 Those hating you put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!”
But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
