Job 8

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,

Then Bildad the Shuhite spoke up and said,

2 How long will you say these things, and how long will the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?

“How much longer will you go on talking like this? The words coming out of your mouth are a lot of hot air!

3 Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?

4 If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.

Your children must have sinned against him, and so they deserved the punishment he inflicted on them.

5 If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

But if you pray to God and ask for his help,

6 If you are clean and upright; then he will certainly be moved to take up your cause, and will make clear your righteousness by building up your house again.

if you live a clean life and do what is right, then he would act to make things right for you in your home.

7 And though your start was small, your end will be very great.

Though you began with next to nothing, you will end up with so much!

8 Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:

Why don't you ask what previous generations discovered, examine what our ancestors found out? We were born yesterday and don't know anything!

9 (For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade: )

Our days on earth fade as quickly as a passing shadow.

10 Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you?

Won't they teach you and explain what they know?

11 Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds grow without water?

12 When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.

Even without being cut, while they are still flowering, they wither faster than grass.

13 So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

This is what happens to everyone who forgets God. The hopes of those who live without God come to nothing.

14 Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.

Their confidence is like holding on to a flimsy spider's web.

15 He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing.

They look to their home to provide security, but it provides no support. They try to hang onto it, but it doesn't last.

16 He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.

Those who live without God are like a luxuriant plant growing in the sun, spreading its shoots all over the garden.

17 His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.

It twists its roots down through the stones, and holds on to rock.

18 If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.

But when it's cut down, the place where it was disowns it, saying, ‘I never even saw you.’

19 Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place.

Its life is over, and others spring up from the earth to take its place.

20 Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.

Look, God doesn't reject someone who is innocent, and he doesn't support those who are guilty.

21 The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.

He can make you laugh with happiness again and shout for joy.

22 Your haters will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the sinner will not be seen again.

Those who hate you will be put to shame, and the place where the wicked live will be destroyed.”