איוב 8

1 וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹאמַֽר׃

And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

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

How long wilt thou speak these things? and the words of thy mouth be a strong wind?

3 הַאֵל יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּט וְאִם־שַׁדַּי יְעַוֵּֽת־צֶֽדֶק׃

Doth God pervert judgment, and the Almighty pervert justice?

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

If thy children have sinned against him, he hath also given them over into the hand of their transgression.

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

If thou seek earnestly unto God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,

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

If thou be pure and upright, surely now he will awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous;

7 וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹֽד׃

And though thy beginning was small, yet thine end shall be very great.

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

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and attend to the researches of their fathers;

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

For we are [but] of yesterday, and know nothing, for our days upon earth are a shadow.

10 הֲלֹא־הֵם יוֹרוּךָ יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ וּמִלִּבָּם יוֹצִאוּ מִלִּֽים׃

Shall not they teach thee, [and] tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

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

Doth the papyrus shoot up without mire? doth the reed-grass grow without water?

12 עֹדֶנּוּ בְאִבּוֹ לֹא יִקָּטֵף וְלִפְנֵי כָל־חָצִיר יִיבָֽשׁ׃

Whilst it is yet in its greenness [and] not cut down, it withereth before any [other] grass.

13 כֵּן אָרְחוֹת כָּל־שֹׁכְחֵי אֵל וְתִקְוַת חָנֵף תֹּאבֵֽד׃

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the profane man's hope shall perish,

14 אֲשֶׁר־יָקוֹט כִּסְלוֹ וּבֵית עַכָּבִישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃

Whose confidence shall be cut off, and his reliance is a spider's web.

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

He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; he shall lay hold on it, but it shall not endure.

16 רָטֹב הוּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁמֶשׁ וְעַל גַּנָּתוֹ יֹֽנַקְתּוֹ תֵצֵֽא׃

He is full of sap before the sun, and his sprout shooteth forth over his garden;

17 עַל־גַּל שָֽׁרָשָׁיו יְסֻבָּכוּ בֵּית אֲבָנִים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃

His roots are entwined about the stoneheap; he seeth the place of stones.

18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וְכִחֶשׁ בּוֹ לֹא רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃

If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him: I have not seen thee!

19 הֶן־הוּא מְשׂוֹשׂ דַּרְכּוֹ וּמֵעָפָר אַחֵר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃

Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the dust shall others grow.

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

Behold, God will not cast off a perfect man, neither will he take evil-doers by the hand.

21 עַד־יְמַלֵּה שְׂחוֹק פִּיךָ וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃

Whilst he would fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with shouting,

22 שֹׂנְאֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וְאֹהֶל רְשָׁעִים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked be no more.