אִיּוֹב 8

1 וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר׃

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

2 עַד־אָ֥ן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְר֥וּחַ כַּ֝בִּיר אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

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

3 הַ֭אֵל יְעַוֵּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְאִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יְעַוֵּֽת־צֶֽדֶק׃

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

4 אִם־בָּנֶ֥יךָ חָֽטְאוּ־לֹ֑ו וַֽ֝יְשַׁלְּחֵ֗ם 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־אַ֭תָּה תְּשַׁחֵ֣ר אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י תִּתְחַנָּֽן׃

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

6 אִם־זַ֥ךְ וְיָשָׁ֗ר אָ֥תָּה כִּי־עַ֭תָּה יָעִ֣יר עָלֶ֑יךָ וְ֝שִׁלַּ֗ם נְוַ֣ת 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 וְהָיָ֣ה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ מִצְעָ֑ר וְ֝אַחֲרִיתְךָ֗ יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה 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־נָ֭א לְדֹ֣ר רִישֹׁ֑ון וְ֝כֹונֵ֗ן לְחֵ֣קֶר אֲבֹותָֽם׃

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

9 כִּֽי־תְמֹ֣ול אֲ֭נַחְנוּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע כִּ֤י צֵ֖ל יָמֵ֣ינוּ 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־הֵ֣ם יֹ֭ורוּךָ יֹ֣אמְרוּ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝מִלִּבָּ֗ם יֹוצִ֥אוּ 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־גֹּ֭מֶא בְּלֹ֣א בִצָּ֑ה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָ֥חוּ 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 עֹדֶ֣נּוּ בְ֭אִבֹּו לֹ֣א יִקָּטֵ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָל־חָצִ֣יר יִיבָֽשׁ׃

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

13 כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחֹות כָּל־שֹׁ֣כְחֵי אֵ֑ל וְתִקְוַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף 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־יָקֹ֥וט כִּסְלֹ֑ו וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֹֽו׃

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 יִשָּׁעֵ֣ן עַל־בֵּ֭יתֹו וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֹ֑ד יַחֲזִ֥יק בֹּ֝֗ו וְלֹ֣א 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 רָטֹ֣ב ה֖וּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְעַ֥ל גַּ֝נָּתֹ֗ו יֹֽנַקְתֹּ֥ו תֵצֵֽא׃

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

17 עַל־גַּ֭ל שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ בֵּ֖ית אֲבָנִ֣ים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃

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

18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹ֑ו וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בֹּ֝֗ו לֹ֣א 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־ה֭וּא מְשֹׂ֣ושׂ דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר אַחֵ֥ר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃

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

20 הֶן־אֵ֭ל לֹ֣א יִמְאַס־תָּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק 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־יְמַלֵּ֣ה שְׂחֹ֣וק פִּ֑יךָ וּשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃

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

22 שֹׂנְאֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֹ֖הֶל רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ פ

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