איוב 8

1 וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

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

2 עַד־אָן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵלֶּה וְרוּחַ כַּבִּיר אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

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

3 הַאֵל יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּט וְאִם־שַׁדַּי יְעַוֵּת־צֶֽדֶק׃

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

4 אִם־בָּנֶיךָ חָֽטְאוּ־לוֹ וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָֽם׃

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 אִם־אַתָּה תְּשַׁחֵר אֶל־אֵל וְאֶל־שַׁדַּי תִּתְחַנָּֽן׃

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

6 אִם־זַךְ וְיָשָׁר אָתָּה כִּֽי־עַתָּה יָעִיר עָלֶיךָ וְשִׁלַּם נְוַת צִדְקֶֽךָ׃

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 וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִֽיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹֽד׃

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 כִּֽי־שְׁאַל־נָא לְדֹר רִישׁוֹן וְכוֹנֵן לְחֵקֶר אֲבוֹתָֽם׃

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

9 כִּֽי־תְמוֹל אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

[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 הֲלֹא־הֵם יוֹרוּךָ יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ וּמִלִּבָּם יוֹצִאוּ מִלִּֽים׃

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 הֲיִֽגְאֶה־גֹּמֶא בְּלֹא בִצָּה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָחוּ בְלִי־מָֽיִם׃

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 עֹדֶנּוּ בְאִבּוֹ לֹא יִקָּטֵף וְלִפְנֵי כׇל־חָצִיר יִיבָֽשׁ׃

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

13 כֵּן אׇרְחוֹת כׇּל־שֹׁכְחֵי אֵל וְתִקְוַת חָנֵף תֹּאבֵֽד׃

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 אֲשֶׁר־יָקוֹט כִּסְלוֹ וּבֵית עַכָּבִישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃

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 יִשָּׁעֵן עַל־בֵּיתוֹ וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד יַחֲזִיק בּוֹ וְלֹא יָקֽוּם׃

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 רָטֹב הוּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁמֶשׁ וְעַל גַּנָּתוֹ יֹנַקְתּוֹ תֵצֵֽא׃

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

17 עַל־גַּל שׇׁרָשָׁיו יְסֻבָּכוּ בֵּית אֲבָנִים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃

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

18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקֹמוֹ וְכִחֶשׁ בּוֹ לֹא רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃

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 הֶן־הוּא מְשׂוֹשׂ דַּרְכּוֹ וּמֵעָפָר אַחֵר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃

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

20 הֶן־אֵל לֹא יִמְאַס־תָּם וְלֹֽא־יַחֲזִיק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִֽים׃

: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 עַד־יְמַלֵּה שְׂחוֹק פִּיךָ וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃

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

22 שֹׂנְאֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וְאֹהֶל רְשָׁעִים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃

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