Ἰώβ 8

1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Βαλδαδ ὁ Σαυχίτης λέγει

Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,

2 μέχρι τίνος λαλήσεις ταῦτα πνεῦμα πολυρῆμον τοῦ στόματός σου

“Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.

3 μὴ ὁ κύριος ἀδικήσει κρίνων ἢ ὁ τὰ πάντα ποιήσας ταράξει τὸ δίκαιον

Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.

4 εἰ οἱ υἱοί σου ἥμαρτον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ἀπέστειλεν ἐν χειρὶ ἀνομίας αὐτῶν

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.

5 σὺ δὲ ὄρθριζε πρὸς κύριον παντοκράτορα δεόμενος

But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,

6 εἰ καθαρὸς εἶ καὶ ἀληθινός δεήσεως ἐπακούσεταί σου ἀποκαταστήσει δέ σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης

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.

7 ἔσται οὖν τὰ μὲν πρῶτά σου ὀλίγα τὰ δὲ ἔσχατά σου ἀμύθητα

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.

8 ἐπερώτησον γὰρ γενεὰν πρώτην ἐξιχνίασον δὲ κατὰ γένος πατέρων

“I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.

9 χθιζοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν σκιὰ γάρ ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ βίος

[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].

10 ἦ οὐχ οὗτοί σε διδάξουσιν καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσιν καὶ ἐκ καρδίας ἐξάξουσιν ῥήματα

So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!

11 μὴ θάλλει πάπυρος ἄνευ ὕδατος ἢ ὑψωθήσεται βούτομον ἄνευ πότου

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.

12 ἔτι ὂν ἐπὶ ῥίζης καὶ οὐ μὴ θερισθῇ πρὸ τοῦ πιεῖν πᾶσα βοτάνη οὐχὶ ξηραίνεται

[If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.

13 οὕτως τοίνυν ἔσται τὰ ἔσχατα πάντων τῶν ἐπιλανθανομένων τοῦ κυρίου ἐλπὶς γὰρ ἀσεβοῦς ἀπολεῖται

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].

14 ἀοίκητος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἔσται ὁ οἶκος ἀράχνη δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀποβήσεται ἡ σκηνή

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.

15 ἐὰν ὑπερείσῃ τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ στῇ ἐπιλαβομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ὑπομείνῃ

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.

16 ὑγρὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὑπὸ ἡλίου καὶ ἐκ σαπρίας αὐτοῦ ὁ ῥάδαμνος αὐτοῦ ἐξελεύσεται

Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.

17 ἐπὶ συναγωγὴν λίθων κοιμᾶται ἐν δὲ μέσῳ χαλίκων ζήσεται

The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.

18 ἐὰν καταπίῃ ὁ τόπος ψεύσεται αὐτόν οὐχ ἑόρακας τοιαῦτα

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].

19 ὅτι καταστροφὴ ἀσεβοῦς τοιαύτη ἐκ δὲ γῆς ἄλλον ἀναβλαστήσει

Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.

20 ὁ γὰρ κύριος οὐ μὴ ἀποποιήσηται τὸν ἄκακον πᾶν δὲ δῶρον ἀσεβοῦς οὐ δέξεται

:So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.

21 ἀληθινῶν δὲ στόμα ἐμπλήσει γέλωτος τὰ δὲ χείλη αὐτῶν ἐξομολογήσεως

He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].

22 οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν ἐνδύσονται αἰσχύνην δίαιτα δὲ ἀσεβοῦς οὐκ ἔσται

But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”