Job 8

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

Then answered Bildad the Shuchite, and said,

2 How long wilt thou speak such things? How long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

How long wilt thou speak these things? and [let] like a mighty wind be the words of thy mouth?

3 Will God pervert judgment? Or will the Almighty pervert justice?

Should God pervert justice? or should the Almighty pervert righteousness?

4 As thy children sinned against him, He hath given them up to their transgression.

If thy children have sinned against him, then did he send them off through the means of their transgression.

5 But if thou wilt seek early to God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty, —

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

6 If thou wilt be pure and upright, Surely he will yet arise for thee, And prosper thy righteous habitation;

If thou become pure and upright: surely then will he watch over thee, and restore thy righteous habitation.

7 So that thy beginning shall be small, And thy latter end very great.

And thy beginning will have been small; because thy latter end will grow up greatly.

8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And mark what hath been searched out by their fathers;

For ask, I pray thee, of an earlier generation, and prepare thyself to [stand by] the research of their fathers; —

9 (For we are of yesterday and know nothing, Since our days upon the earth are but a shadow; )

For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because a [mere] shadow are our days upon earth; —

10 Will not they instruct thee, and tell thee, And utter words from their understanding?

Behold, these will truly teach thee, they will speak unto thee, and out of their very heart will they bring forth words:

11 “Can the paper-reed grow up without mire? Can the bulrush grow without water?

Can the bulrush shoot upward without mire? can the meadow-grass grow up without water?

12 While it is yet in its greenness, and is not cut down, It withereth before any other herb.

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

13 Such is the fate of all who forget God; So perisheth the hope of the ungodly.

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite will perish:

14 His confidence shall come to nought, And his trust shall prove a spider's web.

[It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.

15 He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; He shall lay fast hold on it, but it shall not endure.

He leaneth against his house, but it shall not stand: he layeth fast hold on it, but it shall not remain erect.

16 He is in full green before the sun, And his branches shoot forth over his garden;

He is in full vigor before the sun, and over his garden his shoots go forth.

17 His roots are entwined about the heap, And he seeth the place of stones;

His roots are twisted about a stoneheap, he selecteth [for himself] a place of stones.

18 When he shall be destroyed from his place, It shall deny him, saying, 'I never saw thee.'

But when men destroy him from his place, then will it deny him, saying, I have never seen thee.

19 Lo! such is the joy of his course! And others shall spring up from his place”

Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the [same] dust others will grow up.

20 Behold, God will not cast away an upright man; Nor will he help the evil-doers.

Behold, God will not reject a perfect man, and will not hold fast by their hand the evil-doers:

21 While he filleth thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with gladness,

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

22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, And the dwelling-place of the wicked shall come to nought.

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.