Job 8

1 But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said:

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2 How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?

How long wilt thou speak these things? And [how long] shall the words of thy mouth be [like] a mighty wind?

3 Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?

Doth God pervert justice? Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness?

4 And if now your children have sinned against him, and he has dismissed them into the power of their iniquity,

If thy children have sinned against him, And he hath delivered them into the hand of their transgression;

5 even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.

If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6 If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,

If thou wert pure and upright: Surely now he would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7 so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.

And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end would greatly increase.

8 For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out

9 (of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow, )

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

10 and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.

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

11 Can the marsh plant live without moisture? Or can sedges grow without water?

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

12 When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.

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

13 Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.

So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish:

14 His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.

Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider’s web.

15 He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.

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

16 He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.

He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden.

17 His roots will crowd together over a heap of stones, and among the stones he will remain.

His roots are wrapped about the [stone]-heap, He beholdeth the place of stones.

18 If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”

If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him, [saying], I have not seen thee.

19 For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.

Behold, this is the joy of his way; And out of the earth shall others spring.

20 God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.

21 even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.

He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting.

22 Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.

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