Job 18

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

Then Bildad replied [again]:

2 “When will you stop your talk? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

“When are you going to stop talking [RHQ]? If you would stop talking and listen, we could tell you something.

3 Why are we regarded as beasts, stupid in your sight?

Why do you think that we are [as stupid] as cattle? [DOU, RHQ]

4 You who tear at yourself in your anger, should the earth be forsaken for you or should the rocks be removed out of their places?

By being [very] angry and hurting yourself, do you think that doing that will shake the earth, or cause the rocks in the mountains to move? [RHQ]?

5 Indeed, the light of the wicked person will be put out; the spark of his fire will not shine.

“What will happen is that the lives of wicked people [like you] end [as quickly as we can] put out a light or extinguish the flame of a fire.

6 The light will be dark in his tent; his lamp above him will be put out.

And when the lamps above them [in their tents] are extinguished, there will be no light in those tents.

7 The steps of his strength will be made short; his own plans will cast him down.

[For many years] they walked confidently, but later [in life it was as though] they stumbled and fell, because [they themselves did not heed] the advice [that they gave to others].

8 For he will be thrown into a net by his own feet; he will walk into a pitfall.

[It was as though] they walked into their own net or fell into a pit that they themselves have dug.

9 A trap will take him by the heel; a snare will lay hold on him.

[It was as though] a trap grabbed their heels and held them fast [DOU],

10 A noose is hidden for him on the ground; and a trap for him in the way.

[as though the noose of] a rope that was hidden on the ground, [whose other end was fastened to the limb of a tree], seized them when they walked into it.

11 Terrors will make him afraid on every side; they will chase him at his heels.

Everywhere they went, there were things that caused them to be terrified; [it was as though] those things were pursuing them and biting at their heels.

12 His wealth will turn into hunger, and calamity will be ready at his side.

They became hungry, with the result that they had no strength. They experienced disasters [PRS] constantly.

13 The parts of his body will be devoured; indeed, the firstborn of death will devour his parts.

Diseases spread all over their skin/bodies; diseases that (caused their bodies to decay/destroyed their arms and legs).

14 He is torn from the safety of his tent and marched off to the king of terrors.

[When they died, ] they were snatched away from their tents and brought to the one who rules over the dead.

15 People not his own will live in his tent after they see that sulfur is scattered within his home.

Now their tents will burn down, when burning sulfur rains down on those tents!

16 His roots will be dried up beneath; above will his branch be cut off.

[Because those who died had no descendants], they were [like trees whose] roots have dried up and whose branches have all withered [MET].

17 His memory will perish from the earth; he will have no name in the street.

No one on the earth will remember them any more; no [one on any] street [will even remember] their names [MTY].

18 He will be driven from light into darkness and be chased out of this world.

They will be expelled from the earth where there is light, and they will be sent into the place where it is dark.

19 He will have no son or son's son among his people, nor any remaining kinfolk where he had stayed.

They will have no children or grandchildren, no descendants where they previously lived.

20 Those who live in the west will be horrified at what happens to him one day; those who live in the east will be frightened by it.

People from the east to the west [who hear about what happened to them], will be shocked and horrified.

21 Surely such are the homes of unrighteous people, the places of those who do not know God.”

And that is what happens to ungodly/sinful people [like you], to people who (have no interest in/have rejected) God.”