Job 8

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, 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 long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

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

Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

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

If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

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

If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

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 thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

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

Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

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

For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

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

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

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

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

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

Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?

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

Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

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

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish:

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

Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a 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.

He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

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

He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

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

His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

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

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

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

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

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

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

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

Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

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

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.