Job 8

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,

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

“Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.

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

Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.

4 As thy children sinned against him, He hath given them up to 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 But if thou wilt seek early to God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty, —

But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,

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

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 So that thy beginning shall be small, And thy latter end 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, I pray thee, of the former age, And mark what hath been searched out by 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 know nothing, Since our days upon the earth are but a shadow; )

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

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 “Can the paper-reed grow up without mire? Can the bulrush grow 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 yet in its greenness, and is not cut down, It withereth before any other herb.

[If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.

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

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

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

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

Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.

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

The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.

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

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

Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.

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

: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 filleth thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with gladness,

He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].

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

But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”