Job 18

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

But Baldad the Suhite responded by saying:

2 “How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

How long will you throw around words? Understand first, and then let us speak.

3 Why are we counted as animals, which have become unclean in your sight?

Why have we been treated like mules, as if we were unworthy before you?

4 You who tear yourself in your anger, will the earth be forsaken for you? Or will the rock be removed out of its place?

You, who ruins your own soul in your fury, will the earth be forsaken because of you, and will the cliffs be moved from their place?

5 “Yes, the light of the wicked will be put out. The spark of his fire won’t shine.

Will not the light of the impious be put out, and the flame of his fire refuse to shine?

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

Light will become darkness in his tabernacle, and the lamp that is over him will be extinguished.

7 The steps of his strength will be shortened. His own counsel will cast him down.

His strong steps will be constrained, and his own counsel will cast him down uncontrollably.

8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he wanders into its mesh.

For he has caused his own feet to go into a net, and he has walked into its web.

9 A snare will take him by the heel. A trap will catch him.

His heel will be held in a snare, and thirst will rage against him.

10 A noose is hidden for him in the ground, a trap for him on the path.

A trap has been hidden for him in the earth, and a decoy, along his path.

11 Terrors will make him afraid on every side, and will chase him at his heels.

Horrifying things will terrify him everywhere and will entangle his feet.

12 His strength will be famished. Calamity will be ready at his side.

Let his strength be diminished by famine, and let starvation invade his ribs.

13 The members of his body will be devoured. The firstborn of death will devour his members.

Let it devour the beauty of his skin; let the ancient death consume his arms.

14 He will be rooted out of the security of his tent. He will be brought to the king of terrors.

Let his confidence be torn away from his tabernacle, and let ruin trample over him like a king.

15 There will dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur will be scattered on his habitation.

Let the companions of he who is not, dwell in his tabernacle; let brimstone rain down upon his tabernacle.

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

Let his roots be dried up from beneath him, and his harvest be crushed from above.

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

Let the memory of him perish from the earth, and let not his name be celebrated in the streets.

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

He will expel him from light into darkness, and he will remove him from the world.

19 He will have neither son nor grandson among his people, nor any remaining where he lived.

Neither his offspring, nor his descendants, will exist among his people, nor will there be any remnants in his country.

20 Those who come after will be astonished at his day, as those who went before were frightened.

The last will be astonished at his day, and the first will be overcome with horror.

21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous. This is the place of him who doesn’t know God.”

And so, these are the tabernacles of the sinful, and this the place of he who does not know God.