Job 8

1 The Baldad the Suhite answered, and said:

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

2 How long wilt thou speak these things, and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

“How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

3 Doth God pervert judgment, or doth the Almighty overthrow that which is just?

Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

4 Although thy children have sinned against him, and he hath left them in the hand of their iniquity:

If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.

5 Yet if thou wilt arise early to God, and wilt beseech the Almighty:

If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty.

6 If thou wilt walk clean and upright, he will presently awake onto thee, and will make the dwelling of thy justice peaceable:

If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.

7 Insomuch, that if thy former things were small, thy latter things would be multiplied exceedingly.

Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.

8 For inquire of the former generation, and search diligently into the memory of the fathers:

“Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.

9 (For we are but of yesterday, and are ignorant that our days upon earth are but a shadow: )

(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow.)

10 And they shall teach thee: they shall speak to thee, and utter words out of their hearts.

Shall they not teach you, tell you, and utter words out of their heart?

11 Can the rush be green without moisture? or a sedge-bush grow without water?

“Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water?

12 When it is yet in flower, and is not plucked up with the hand, it withereth before all herbs.

While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed.

13 Even so are the ways of all that forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish:

So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,

14 His folly shall not please him, and his trust shall be like the spider’s web.

whose confidence will break apart, whose trust is a spider’s web.

15 He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand: he shall prop it up, and it shall not rise:

He will lean on his house, but it will not stand. He will cling to it, but it will not endure.

16 He seemeth to have moisture before the sun cometh, and at his rising his blossom shall shoot forth.

He is green before the sun. His shoots go out along his garden.

17 His roots shall be thick upon a heap of stones, and among the stones he shall abide.

His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.

18 If one swallow him up out of his place, he shall deny him, and shall say: I know thee not.

If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

19 For this is the joy of his way, that others may spring again out of the earth.

Behold, this is the joy of his way. Out of the earth, others will spring.

20 God will not cast away the simple, nor reach out his hand to the evildoer:

“Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers.

21 Until thy mouth be filled with laughter, and thy lips with rejoicing.

He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

22 They that hate thee, shall be clothed with confusion: and the dwelling of the wicked shall not stand.

Those who hate you will be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked will be no more.”