Job 8

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

Then responded Bildad the Shuhite, and said: —

2 "How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

How long wilt thou speak these things? Or, as a mighty wind, shall be the sayings of thy mouth?

3 Does God pervert justice? Or does Shaddai pervert righteousness?

Should, GOD, pervert justice? Or, the Almighty, pervert righteousness?

4 If your children have sinned against him, He has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.

Though, thy children, sinned against him, and he delivered them into the hand of their transgression,

5 If you want to seek God diligently, make your petition to Shaddai.

Yet, if, thou thyself, wilt diligently seek unto GOD, —and, unto the Almighty, wilt make supplication;

6 If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.

If, pure and upright, thou thyself, art, surely, now, will he answer thy prayer, and will prosper thy righteous habitation:

7 Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.

So shall thy beginning appear small, —when, thy latter end, he shall greatly increase!

8 "Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.

For inquire, I pray thee, of a former generation, and prepare thyself for the research of their fathers; —

9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow.)

For, of yesterday, are, we, and cannot know, for, a shadow, are our days upon earth:

10 Shall they not teach you, tell you, and utter words out of their heart?

Shall, they, not teach thee—tell thee, and, out of their memory, bring forth words?

11 "Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water?

Can the paper-reed grow up, without a marsh? Or the rush grow up, without water?

12 While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed.

Though while still, in its freshness, it be not plucked off, yet, before any kind of grass, it doth wither:

13 So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man shall perish,

So, shall be the latter end of all who forget GOD, and, the hope of the impious, shall perish:

14 Whose confidence shall break apart, Whose trust is a spider's web.

Whose trust shall be contemptible, —and, a spider’s web, his confidence:

15 He shall lean on his house, but it shall not stand. He shall cling to it, but it shall not endure.

He leaneth upon his house, and it will not stand, he holdeth it fast, and it will not remain erect.

16 He is green before the sun. His shoots go forth over his garden.

Full of moisture he is, before the sun, and, over his garden, his shoot goeth forth:

17 His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.

Over a heap, his roots are entwined, a place of stones, he descrieth;

18 If he is destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, 'I have not seen you.'

If one destroy him out of his place, then will it disown him [saying] —I have not seen thee.

19 Look, this is the joy of his way: out of the earth, others shall spring.

Lo! that, is the joy of his way, —and, out of the dust, shall others spring up.

20 "Look, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers.

Lo! GOD, will not reject a blameless man, neither will he grasp the hand of evil-doers:

21 He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

At length he shall fill with laughter thy mouth, and thy lips, with a shout of triumph:

22 Those who hate you shall be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked shall be no more."

They who hate thee, shall be clothed with shame, but, the tent of the lawless, shall not be!