Job 8

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered 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 will you say these things? How long will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

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

Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

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

Your children have sinned against him; we know this, for he gave them into the hand of their sins.

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

But suppose you diligently sought God and presented your request to the Almighty.

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

If you are pure and upright, then he would surely stir himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.

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

Even though your beginning was small, still your final condition would be much greater.

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

Please ask the former generations, and give your attention to what our ancestors learned.

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

(We were only born yesterday and know nothing because our days on earth are a shadow).

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

Will they not teach you and tell you? Will they not speak words from their hearts?

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

Can papyrus grow without a marsh? Can reeds grow without water?

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

While they are still green and not cut down, they wither before any other plant.

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

So also are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish.

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

His confidence will break apart, and his trust is as weak as 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.

He leans on his house, but it will not support him; he takes hold of it, but it does not stand.

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

Under the sun he is green, and his shoots go out over his entire garden.

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

His roots are wrapped about the heaps of stone; they look for good places among the rocks.

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

But if this person is destroyed out of his place, then that place will deny him and say, 'I never saw you.'

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

See, this is the “joy” of such a person's behavior; other plants will sprout out of the same soil in his place.

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

See, God will not cast away an innocent man; neither will he take the hand of evildoers.

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

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

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

Those who hate you will be clothed with shame; the tent of the wicked will be no more.”