Job 8
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, and said,
2 “How long will you say these things? How long will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
How long will thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a mighty wind?
3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 Your children have sinned against him; we know this, for he gave them into the hand of their sins.
If thy sons have sinned against him, and he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression,
5 But suppose you diligently sought God and presented your request to the Almighty.
if thou would seek diligently to God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,
6 If you are pure and upright, then he would surely stir himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.
if thou were pure and upright, surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 Even though your beginning was small, still your final condition would be much greater.
And though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end would greatly increase.
8 Please ask the former generations, and give your attention to what our ancestors learned.
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out
9 (We were only born yesterday and know nothing because our days on earth are a shadow).
(for we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow).
10 Will they not teach you and tell you? Will they not speak words from their hearts?
Shall they not teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
11 Can papyrus grow without a marsh? Can reeds grow without water?
Can the rush grow up without mire? Can a reed grow without water?
12 While they are still green and not cut down, they wither before any other plant.
While it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it withers before any other herb.
13 So also are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish.
So are the paths of all who forget God. And the hope of the profane man shall perish,
14 His confidence will break apart, and his trust is as weak as a spider's web.
whose confidence shall break apart, and whose trust is a spider's web.
15 He leans on his house, but it will not support him; he takes hold of it, but it does not stand.
He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand. He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.
16 Under the sun he is green, and his shoots go out over his entire garden.
He is green before the sun, and his shoots go forth over his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped about the heaps of stone; they look for good places among the rocks.
His roots are wrapped around the stone heap. He beholds the place of stones.
18 But if this person is destroyed out of his place, then that place will deny him and say, 'I never saw you.'
If he is destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
19 See, this is the “joy” of such a person's behavior; other plants will sprout out of the same soil in his place.
Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth others shall spring.
20 See, God will not cast away an innocent man; neither will he take the hand of evildoers.
Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, nor will he uphold the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.
He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter, and thy lips with shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame; the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
Those who hate thee shall be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
