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Bildad

¿Hasta cuándo vas a seguir hablando así,
hablando como un viento huracanado?
Dios, el Todopoderoso,
nunca tuerce la justicia ni el derecho.
Seguramente tus hijos pecaron contra Dios,
y él les dio el castigo merecido.
Busca a Dios, al Todopoderoso,
y pídele que tenga compasión de ti.
Si tú actúas con pureza y rectitud,
él velará por ti, y te dará
el hogar que justamente mereces.
La riqueza que tenías no será nada
comparada con lo que tendrás después.

Consulta a las generaciones pasadas,
aprende de la experiencia de los antiguos.
Nosotros somos apenas de ayer, y nada sabemos;
nuestros días en esta tierra pasan como una sombra.
10 Pero los antiguos podrán hablarte
y enseñarte muchas cosas.
11 El junco y el papiro
crecen sólo donde abunda el agua;
12 sin embargo, estando aún verdes y sin cortar,
se secan antes que otras hierbas.
13 Lo mismo pasa con los malvados,
con los que se olvidan de Dios:
sus esperanzas quedan frustradas.
14 Su confianza y su seguridad
son como el hilo de una telaraña.
15 Querrán agarrarse al hilo, y no resistirá;
o apoyarse en la telaraña, y no los soportará.
16 Los malvados son como verdes hierbas al sol,
que se extienden por todo el jardín;
17 enredan sus raíces entre las rocas
y se adhieren a las piedras,
18 pero si alguien las arranca de su sitio
nadie podrá saber que estuvieron allí.
19 Así termina su prosperidad,
y en su lugar brotan otras hierbas.

20 Dios no abandona al hombre intachable,
ni brinda su apoyo a los malvados.
21 Él hará que vuelvas a reír
y que grites de alegría;
22 en cambio, tus enemigos se cubrirán de vergüenza
y la casa de los malvados será destruida.

Bildad proclama la justicia de Dios

Respondió Bildad suhita, y dijo:

¿Hasta cuándo hablarás tales cosas,

Y las palabras de tu boca serán como viento impetuoso?

¿Acaso torcerá Dios el derecho,

O pervertirá el Todopoderoso la justicia?

Si tus hijos pecaron contra él,

Él los echó en el lugar de su pecado.

Si tú de mañana buscares a Dios,

Y rogares al Todopoderoso;

Si fueres limpio y recto,

Ciertamente luego se despertará por ti,

Y hará próspera la morada de tu justicia.

Y aunque tu principio haya sido pequeño,

Tu postrer estado será muy grande.

Porque pregunta ahora a las generaciones pasadas,

Y disponte para inquirir a los padres de ellas;

Pues nosotros somos de ayer, y nada sabemos,

Siendo nuestros días sobre la tierra como sombra.

10 ¿No te enseñarán ellos, te hablarán,

Y de su corazón sacarán palabras?

11 ¿Crece el junco sin lodo?

¿Crece el prado sin agua?

12 Aun en su verdor, y sin haber sido cortado,

Con todo, se seca primero que toda hierba.

13 Tales son los caminos de todos los que olvidan a Dios;

Y la esperanza del impío perecerá;

14 Porque su esperanza será cortada,

Y su confianza es tela de araña.

15 Se apoyará él en su casa, mas no permanecerá ella en pie;

Se asirá de ella, mas no resistirá.

16 A manera de un árbol está verde delante del sol,

Y sus renuevos salen sobre su huerto;

17 Se van entretejiendo sus raíces junto a una fuente,

Y enlazándose hasta un lugar pedregoso.

18 Si le arrancaren de su lugar,

Este le negará entonces, diciendo: Nunca te vi.

19 Ciertamente este será el gozo de su camino;

Y del polvo mismo nacerán otros.

20 He aquí, Dios no aborrece al perfecto,

Ni apoya la mano de los malignos.

21 Aún llenará tu boca de risa,

Y tus labios de júbilo.

22 Los que te aborrecen serán vestidos de confusión;

Y la habitación de los impíos perecerá.

Chapter 8

Bildad’s First Speech. Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

How long will you utter such things?
    The words from your mouth are a mighty wind!
Does God pervert judgment,(A)
    does the Almighty pervert justice?
If your children have sinned against him
    and he has left them in the grip of their guilt,
Still, if you yourself have recourse to God
    and make supplication to the Almighty,
Should you be blameless and upright,
    surely now he will rouse himself for you
    and restore your rightful home.
Though your beginning was small,
    your future will flourish indeed.
Inquire of the former generations,
    pay attention to the experience of their ancestors—(B)
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.

Footnotes

  1. 8:11–13 As marsh plants need water, so human beings need God. These verses may be a quotation from the teaching of the ancestors; cf. v. 10.

Bildad

Then Bildad the Shuhite(A) replied:

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

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

Footnotes

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

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

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

Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

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

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

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

12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.

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

16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.

20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.