Job 8

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

Then Baldad the Sauchite answered, and said,

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

How long will you speak these things, [how long shall] the breath of your mouth [be] abundant in words?

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

Will the Lord be unjust when he judges; or will he that has made all things pervert justice?

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

If your sons have sinned before him, he has cast them away because of their transgression.

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

But be you early in prayer to the Lord Almighty.

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

If you are pure and true, he will listen to your supplication, and will restore to you the habitation of righteousness.

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

Though then your beginning should be small, yet your end should be unspeakably great.

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

For ask of the former generation, and search diligently among the race of [our] fathers:

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

(for we are of yesterday, and know nothing; for our life upon the earth is a shadow: )

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

shall not these teach you, and report [to you], and bring out words from [their] heart?

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

Does the rush flourish without water, or shall the flag grow up without moisture?

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

When it is yet on the root, and [though] it has not been cut down, does not any herb wither before it has received moisture?

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

Thus then shall be the end of all that forget the Lord: for the hope of the ungodly shall perish.

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

For his house shall be without inhabitants, and his tent shall prove a spider's web.

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

If he should prop up his house, it shall not stand: and when he has taken hold of it, it shall not remain.

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

For it is moist under the sun, and his branch shall come forth out of his dung-heap.

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

He lies down upon a gathering of stones, and shall live in the mist of flints.

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

If [God] should destroy [him], his place shall deny him. Hast you not seen such things,

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

that such is the overthrow of the ungodly? and out of the earth another shall grow.

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

For the Lord will by no means reject the harmless man; but he will not receive any gift of the ungodly.

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

But he will fill with laughter the mouth of the sincere, and their lips with thanksgiving.

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

But their adversaries shall clothe themselves with shame; and the habitation of the ungodly shall perish.