Job 8
1 Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2 “Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
“How long will you say these things? How long will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 So, it is evident that your children have sinned against him, therefore he has caused them to be punished for evil things that they have done.
Your children have sinned against him; we know this, for he gave them into the hand of their sins.
5 But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
But suppose you diligently sought God and presented your request to the Almighty.
6 and if you are pure and honest/righteous, he will surely do something good for you and reward you by giving your family back to you and enabling you to prosper.
If you are pure and upright, then he would surely stir himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.
7 And even though you [think that you] were not very prosperous/wealthy before, during the last part of your life you will become very wealthy.
Even though your beginning was small, still your final condition would be much greater.
8 “I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
Please ask the former generations, and give your attention to what our ancestors learned.
9 [It seems as though] we were born only yesterday and we know very little [HYP]; our time here on the earth [disappears quickly, like] a shadow [MET].
(We were only born yesterday and know nothing because our days on earth are a shadow).
10 So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
Will they not teach you and tell you? Will they not speak words from their hearts?
11 Papyrus can certainly not [RHQ] grow in places where there is no marsh/swamp; reeds certainly cannot [RHQ] flourish/grow where there is no water.
Can papyrus grow without a marsh? Can reeds grow without water?
12 [If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
While they are still green and not cut down, they wither before any other plant.
13 Those who do not pay attention to what God says are like those [reeds]; godless people stop confidently expecting [that good things will happen to them].
So also are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish.
14 The things they confidently expect to happen do not happen; things they trust [will help them] are [as fragile as] [MET] a spider’s web.
His confidence will break apart, and his trust is as weak as a spider's web.
15 If they lean against a house (OR, trust in their wealth; OR, lean on a spider web), it does not (endure/protect them) [LIT]; they cling to things [to be protected], but those things do not remain firm.
He leans on his house, but it will not support him; he takes hold of it, but it does not stand.
16 Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
Under the sun he is green, and his shoots go out over his entire garden.
17 The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
His roots are wrapped about the heaps of stone; they look for good places among the rocks.
18 But if those plants are pulled out, [it is as though] the place where they were planted says ‘They were never here!’ [And that is what happens to wicked people who do not heed what God says].
But if this person is destroyed out of his place, then that place will deny him and say, 'I never saw you.'
19 Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
See, this is the “joy” of such a person's behavior; other plants will sprout out of the same soil in his place.
20 :So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
See, God will not cast away an innocent man; neither will he take the hand of evildoers.
21 He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.
22 But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
Those who hate you will be clothed with shame; the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
