Job 8
1 Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
And Bildad the Shuhite answers and says:
2 “Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
“Until when do you speak these things? And a strong wind—sayings of your mouth?
3 Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
Does God pervert judgment? And does the Mighty One pervert justice?
4 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.
If your sons have sinned before Him, And He sends them away, By the hand of their transgression,
5 But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
If you seek for God early, And make supplication to the Mighty,
6 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.
If you [are] pure and upright, Surely now He wakes for you, And has completed The habitation of your righteousness.
7 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.
And your beginning has been small, And your latter end is very great.
8 “I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
For inquire, please, of a former generation, And prepare for a search of their fathers,
9 [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].
For we [are] of yesterday, and we do not know, For our days [are] a shadow on earth.
10 So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
Do they not show you—speak to you, And from their heart bring forth words?
11 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.
Does a rush rise without a marsh? A reed increase without water?
12 [If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
While it [is] in its budding—uncropped, Even before any herb it withers.
13 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].
So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane perishes,
14 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.
Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.
15 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.
He leans on his house—and it does not stand, He takes hold on it—and it does not abide.
16 Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
He [is] green before the sun, And over his garden his branch goes out.
17 The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
His roots are wrapped by a heap, He looks for a house of stones.
18 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].
If [one] destroys him from his place, Then it has feigned concerning him, I have not seen you!
19 Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
Behold, this [is] the joy of His way, And from the dust others spring up.
20 :So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
Behold, God does not reject the perfect, Nor takes hold on the hand of evildoers.
21 He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
While He fills your mouth with laughter, And your lips with shouting,
22 But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
Those hating you put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!”
