Job 8

1 Then responded Bildad the Shuhite, and said: —

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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