Job 8

New International Version

Bildad

8 Then Bildad the Shuhite^(A) replied:

²“How long will you say such things?^(B)
    Your words are a blustering wind.^(C)
³Does God pervert justice?^(D)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?^(E)
⁴When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.^(F)
⁵But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead^(G) with the Almighty,^(H)
⁶if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf^(I)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.^(J)
⁷Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous^(K) will your future be.^(L)

⁸“Ask the former generation^(M)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
⁹for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,^(N)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.^(O)
¹⁰Will they not instruct^(P) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?^(Q)
¹¹Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?^(R)
    Can reeds^(S) thrive without water?
¹²While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.^(T)
¹³Such is the destiny^(U) of all who forget God;^(V)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.^(W)
¹⁴What they trust in is fragile^[a];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.^(X)
¹⁵They lean on the web,^(Y) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.^(Z)
¹⁶They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots^(AA) over the garden;^(AB)
¹⁷it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
¹⁸But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns^(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’^(AD)
¹⁹Surely its life withers^(AE) away,
    and^[b] from the soil other plants grow.^(AF)

²⁰“Surely God does not reject one who is blameless^(AG)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.^(AH)
²¹He will yet fill your mouth with laughter^(AI)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.^(AJ)
²²Your enemies will be clothed in shame,^(AK)
    and the tents^(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”^(AM)

Footnotes

Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that

Psalm 44

New International Version

Psalm 44^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b]

¹We have heard it with our ears,^(A) O God;
    our ancestors have told us^(B)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.^(C)
²With your hand you drove out^(D) the nations
    and planted^(E) our ancestors;
you crushed^(F) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.^(G)
³It was not by their sword^(H) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,^(I) your arm,^(J)
    and the light^(K) of your face, for you loved^(L) them.

⁴You are my King^(M) and my God,^(N)
    who decrees^[c] victories^(O) for Jacob.
⁵Through you we push back^(P) our enemies;
    through your name we trample^(Q) our foes.
⁶I put no trust in my bow,^(R)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷but you give us victory^(S) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.^(T)
⁸In God we make our boast^(U) all day long,^(V)
    and we will praise your name forever.^[d]^(W)

⁹But now you have rejected^(X) and humbled us;^(Y)
    you no longer go out with our armies.^(Z)
¹⁰You made us retreat^(AA) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered^(AB) us.
¹¹You gave us up to be devoured like sheep^(AC)
    and have scattered us among the nations.^(AD)
¹²You sold your people for a pittance,^(AE)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³You have made us a reproach^(AF) to our neighbors,^(AG)
    the scorn^(AH) and derision^(AI) of those around us.
¹⁴You have made us a byword^(AJ) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads^(AK) at us.
¹⁵I live in disgrace^(AL) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame^(AM)
¹⁶at the taunts^(AN) of those who reproach and revile^(AO) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.^(AP)

¹⁷All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten^(AQ) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸Our hearts had not turned^(AR) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹But you crushed^(AS) us and made us a haunt for jackals;^(AT)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.^(AU)

²⁰If we had forgotten^(AV) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,^(AW)
²¹would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?^(AX)
²²Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep^(AY) to be slaughtered.^(AZ)

²³Awake,^(BA) Lord! Why do you sleep?^(BB)
Rouse yourself!^(BC) Do not reject us forever.^(BD)
²⁴Why do you hide your face^(BE)
and forget^(BF) our misery and oppression?^(BG)

²⁵We are brought down to the dust;^(BH)
our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶Rise up^(BI) and help us;
rescue^(BJ) us because of your unfailing love.^(BK)