איוב 8

1 וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: —

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

Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind — sayings of thy mouth?

3 הַאֵל יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּט וְאִם־שַׁדַּי יְעַוֵּת־צֶֽדֶק׃

Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

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

If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,

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

If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,

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

If pure and upright thou [art], Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness.

7 וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִֽיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹֽד׃

And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.

8 כִּֽי־שְׁאַל־נָא לְדֹר רִישׁוֹן וְכוֹנֵן לְחֵקֶר אֲבוֹתָֽם׃

For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,

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

(For of yesterday we [are], and we know not, For a shadow [are] our days on earth.)

10 הֲלֹא־הֵם יוֹרוּךָ יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ וּמִלִּבָּם יוֹצִאוּ מִלִּֽים׃

Do they not shew thee — speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?

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

'Doth a rush wise without mire? A reed increase without water?

12 עֹדֶנּוּ בְאִבּוֹ לֹא יִקָּטֵף וְלִפְנֵי כׇל־חָצִיר יִיבָֽשׁ׃

While it [is] in its budding — uncropped, Even before any herb it withereth.

13 כֵּן אׇרְחוֹת כׇּל־שֹׁכְחֵי אֵל וְתִקְוַת חָנֵף תֹּאבֵֽד׃

So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane doth perish,

14 אֲשֶׁר־יָקוֹט כִּסְלוֹ וּבֵית עַכָּבִישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃

Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.

15 יִשָּׁעֵן עַל־בֵּיתוֹ וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד יַחֲזִיק בּוֹ וְלֹא יָקֽוּם׃

He leaneth on his house — and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it — and it abideth not.

16 רָטֹב הוּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁמֶשׁ וְעַל גַּנָּתוֹ יֹנַקְתּוֹ תֵצֵֽא׃

Green he [is] before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.

17 עַל־גַּל שׇׁרָשָׁיו יְסֻבָּכוּ בֵּית אֲבָנִים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃

By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.

18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקֹמוֹ וְכִחֶשׁ בּוֹ לֹא רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃

If [one] doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!

19 הֶן־הוּא מְשׂוֹשׂ דַּרְכּוֹ וּמֵעָפָר אַחֵר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃

Lo, this [is] the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'

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

Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.

21 עַד־יְמַלֵּה שְׂחוֹק פִּיךָ וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃

While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting,

22 שֹׂנְאֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וְאֹהֶל רְשָׁעִים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃

Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!