Job 8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 8
Bildad’s First Speech. 1 Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 How long will you utter such things?
The words from your mouth are a mighty wind!
3 Does God pervert judgment,(A)
does the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If your children have sinned against him
and he has left them in the grip of their guilt,
5 Still, if you yourself have recourse to God
and make supplication to the Almighty,
6 Should you be blameless and upright,
surely now he will rouse himself for you
and restore your rightful home.
7 Though your beginning was small,
your future will flourish indeed.
8 Inquire of the former generations,
pay attention to the experience of their ancestors—(B)
9 As we are but of yesterday and have no knowledge,
because our days on earth are but a shadow—(C)
10 Will they not teach you and tell you
and utter their words of understanding?
11 [a]Can the papyrus grow up without mire?
Can the reed grass flourish without water?
12 While it is yet green and uncut,
it withers quicker than any grass.
13 So is the end of everyone who forgets God,
and so shall the hope of the godless perish.
14 His confidence is but a gossamer thread,
his trust is a spider’s house.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand;
he shall cling to it, but it shall not endure.
16 He thrives in full sun,
and over his garden his shoots go forth;
17 About a heap of stones his roots are entwined;
among the rocks he takes hold.
18 Yet if one tears him from his place,
it will disown him: “I have never seen you!”
19 There he lies rotting beside the road,
and out of the soil another sprouts.
20 Behold, God will not cast away the upright;
neither will he take the hand of the wicked.
21 Once more will he fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with rejoicing.
22 Those who hate you shall be clothed with shame,
and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
Job 8
Lexham English Bible
Bildad’s First Response to Job
8 Then[a] Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,[b]
2 “How long[c] will you say these things,
and the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Does God pervert justice,
or[d] Shaddai pervert righteousness?
4 If your children sinned against him,
then[e] he sent them into the power[f] of their transgression.
5 If you yourself[g] would seek God,
then[h] you would plead to Shaddai for grace.
6 If you are pure and upright,
indeed,[i] now he will rouse himself for you,
and he will restore your righteous abode.
7 Though[j] your beginning was small,
your end[k] will be very great.
8 “Indeed,[l] please inquire of former generations,
and consider what their ancestors have found,[m]
9 for we are of yesterday, and we do not know,
for our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they themselves[n] not teach you and tell you[o]
and utter[p] words from their heart?
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is not a marsh?
Will reeds flourish without water?[q]
12 While it is in its flower and is not plucked,
yet[r] it withers before[s] all grass.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
and the hope of the godless will perish,
14 whose confidence is cut off
and whose trust[t] is a spider’s house.
15 He will lean himself against his house, but[u] it will not stand;
he will take hold of it, but[v] it will not endure.
16 He is thriving[w] before[x] the sun,
and his plant shoots spread over his garden.
17 His roots twine over a stone heap;
he sees a house of stone.
18 If he destroys him from his place,
then[y] it deceives him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
19 Look, this is the joy of his way,
and from dust others will spring up.
20 “Look, God will not reject the blameless,
and he will not uphold the hand of evildoers.
21 Yet he will fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with a shout of joy.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”[z]
Footnotes
- Job 8:1 Hebrew “And”
- Job 8:1 Hebrew “he said”
- Job 8:2 Literally “Until when”
- Job 8:3 Literally “and if”
- Job 8:4 Hebrew “and”
- Job 8:4 Literally “hand”
- Job 8:5 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 8:5 Hebrew “and”
- Job 8:6 Or “even,” or “yes”
- Job 8:7 Hebrew “And”
- Job 8:7 Hebrew “and your end”
- Job 8:8 Or “For”
- Job 8:8 Literally “as to the finding of their fathers”
- Job 8:10 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 8:10 Literally “they will say to you”
- Job 8:10 Literally “they will bring out”
- Job 8:11 Or “where there is no water”
- Job 8:12 Hebrew “and”
- Job 8:12 Literally “to the faces of”
- Job 8:14 Literally “his trust”
- Job 8:15 Hebrew “and”
- Job 8:15 Hebrew “and”
- Job 8:16 Literally “soaked,” or “well-watered”
- Job 8:16 Literally “to the faces of”
- Job 8:18 Hebrew “and”
- Job 8:22 Literally “there is not it,” or “it is not”
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