Job 8
1 Then responded Bildad the Shuhite, and said: —
But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said:
2 How long wilt thou speak these things? Or, as a mighty wind, shall be the sayings of thy mouth?
How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?
3 Should, GOD, pervert justice? Or, the Almighty, pervert righteousness?
Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?
4 Though, thy children, sinned against him, and he delivered them into the hand of their transgression,
And if now your children have sinned against him, and he has dismissed them into the power of their iniquity,
5 Yet, if, thou thyself, wilt diligently seek unto GOD, —and, unto the Almighty, wilt make supplication;
even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.
6 If, pure and upright, thou thyself, art, surely, now, will he answer thy prayer, and will prosper thy righteous habitation:
If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,
7 So shall thy beginning appear small, —when, thy latter end, he shall greatly increase!
so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.
8 For inquire, I pray thee, of a former generation, and prepare thyself for the research of their fathers; —
For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,
9 For, of yesterday, are, we, and cannot know, for, a shadow, are our days upon earth:
(of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow, )
10 Shall, they, not teach thee—tell thee, and, out of their memory, bring forth words?
and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.
11 Can the paper-reed grow up, without a marsh? Or the rush grow up, without water?
Can the marsh plant live without moisture? Or can sedges grow without water?
12 Though while still, in its freshness, it be not plucked off, yet, before any kind of grass, it doth wither:
When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.
13 So, shall be the latter end of all who forget GOD, and, the hope of the impious, shall perish:
Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.
14 Whose trust shall be contemptible, —and, a spider’s web, his confidence:
His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.
15 He leaneth upon his house, and it will not stand, he holdeth it fast, and it will not remain erect.
He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.
16 Full of moisture he is, before the sun, and, over his garden, his shoot goeth forth:
He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.
17 Over a heap, his roots are entwined, a place of stones, he descrieth;
His roots will crowd together over a heap of stones, and among the stones he will remain.
18 If one destroy him out of his place, then will it disown him [saying] —I have not seen thee.
If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”
19 Lo! that, is the joy of his way, —and, out of the dust, shall others spring up.
For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.
20 Lo! GOD, will not reject a blameless man, neither will he grasp the hand of evil-doers:
God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,
21 At length he shall fill with laughter thy mouth, and thy lips, with a shout of triumph:
even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.
22 They who hate thee, shall be clothed with shame, but, the tent of the lawless, shall not be!
Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.
