Job 8

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

Then responded Bildad the Shuhite, and said: —

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

How long wilt thou speak these things? Or, as a mighty wind, shall be the sayings of thy mouth?

3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

Should, GOD, pervert justice? Or, the Almighty, pervert righteousness?

4 Your children have sinned against him; we know this, for he gave them into the hand of their sins.

Though, thy children, sinned against him, and he delivered them into the hand of their transgression,

5 But suppose you diligently sought God and presented your request to the Almighty.

Yet, if, thou thyself, wilt diligently seek unto GOD, —and, unto the Almighty, wilt make supplication;

6 If you are pure and upright, then he would surely stir himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.

If, pure and upright, thou thyself, art, surely, now, will he answer thy prayer, and will prosper thy righteous habitation:

7 Even though your beginning was small, still your final condition would be much greater.

So shall thy beginning appear small, —when, thy latter end, he shall greatly increase!

8 Please ask the former generations, and give your attention to what our ancestors learned.

For inquire, I pray thee, of a former generation, and prepare thyself for the research of their fathers; —

9 (We were only born yesterday and know nothing because our days on earth are a shadow).

For, of yesterday, are, we, and cannot know, for, a shadow, are our days upon earth:

10 Will they not teach you and tell you? Will they not speak words from their hearts?

Shall, they, not teach thee—tell thee, and, out of their memory, bring forth words?

11 Can papyrus grow without a marsh? Can reeds grow without water?

Can the paper-reed grow up, without a marsh? Or the rush grow up, without water?

12 While they are still green and not cut down, they wither before any other plant.

Though while still, in its freshness, it be not plucked off, yet, before any kind of grass, it doth wither:

13 So also are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish.

So, shall be the latter end of all who forget GOD, and, the hope of the impious, shall perish:

14 His confidence will break apart, and his trust is as weak as a spider's web.

Whose trust shall be contemptible, —and, a spider’s web, his confidence:

15 He leans on his house, but it will not support him; he takes hold of it, but it does not stand.

He leaneth upon his house, and it will not stand, he holdeth it fast, and it will not remain erect.

16 Under the sun he is green, and his shoots go out over his entire garden.

Full of moisture he is, before the sun, and, over his garden, his shoot goeth forth:

17 His roots are wrapped about the heaps of stone; they look for good places among the rocks.

Over a heap, his roots are entwined, a place of stones, he descrieth;

18 But if this person is destroyed out of his place, then that place will deny him and say, 'I never saw you.'

If one destroy him out of his place, then will it disown him [saying] —I have not seen thee.

19 See, this is the “joy” of such a person's behavior; other plants will sprout out of the same soil in his place.

Lo! that, is the joy of his way, —and, out of the dust, shall others spring up.

20 See, God will not cast away an innocent man; neither will he take the hand of evildoers.

Lo! GOD, will not reject a blameless man, neither will he grasp the hand of evil-doers:

21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

At length he shall fill with laughter thy mouth, and thy lips, with a shout of triumph:

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

They who hate thee, shall be clothed with shame, but, the tent of the lawless, shall not be!