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Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, and said,

“How long will you talk of these things? And how long shall the words of your mouth be as a mighty wind?

“Does God pervert judgment? Or does the Almighty subvert justice?

“If your sons have sinned against Him, and He has sent them into the place of their iniquity,

“if you will seek God early, and pray to the Almighty,

“if you are pure and upright, then surely He will be stirred up. And He will make the habitation of your righteousness peaceful.

“And though your beginning was small, your future shall greatly increase.

“Please inquire, therefore, of the previous age, and prepare yourself to search their fathers.

“(For we are but from yesterday and are ignorant. For our days upon Earth are but a shadow).

10 “Shall they not teach you and tell you and utter the words of their heart?

11 “Can a reed grow without a marsh? Or can the grass grow without water?

12 “Though it is green and not cut down, it shall still wither before any other herb.

13 “So are the paths of all who forget God. And the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.

14 “His confidence also shall be cut off. And his trust shall be as the web of a spider.

15 “He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand. He shall hold himself fast to it, yet it shall not endure.

16 “He is green before the Sun, and his branches spread over his garden.

17 “His roots are wrapped around the heap and are folded around the stones.

18 “If anyone pulls him from his place, it denies him, saying, ‘I have not seen you’.

19 “Behold, he will rejoice by this means, so that others may grow out of the earth.

20 “Behold, God will not cast away an upright man. Nor will He take the wicked by the hand

21 “until He has filled your mouth with laughter, and your lips with joy.

22 “Those who hate you shall be clothed with shame. And the dwelling of the wicked shall not remain.”

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.

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

Bildad både anklagar och ger hopp

Då svarade Bildad från Sua Job:

Hur länge tänker du fortsätta på det här sättet, Job, med dina många ord?

Skulle Gud kunna förvränga rättvisan?

Dina barn syndade mot honom och han straffade dem.

Men om du ber till den Allsmäktige

så hör han din bön och besvarar den med upprättelse, om du är ren och god.

Det du redan hade uppnått kan inte jämföras med den framgång han vill välsigna dig med.

Fråga de gamla och lär av dina förfäder!

Vi är ännu unga och oerfarna.

10 Men gångna tiders visdom ska lära dig. Andras erfarenhet ska tala till dig och påminna dig

11-13 om att de som glömmer bort Gud inte har något hopp. De är som vass, som inte har någon dy att växa i, eller som gräs som förtorkar i brist på vatten, och som vissnar redan innan det är dags att klippa det.

14 En man utan Gud har ingenting fast att hålla sig till. Det är som att förlita sig på styrkan hos spindelväv. Allt han sätter tro till rasar samman.

15 Han lutar sig mot spindelnätet, men det ger efter, han hänger sig fast, men det ger vika.

16 Han är som ett friskt träd vid vatten, som sträcker ut sina grenar i solskenet.

17 Hans rötter sträcker sig ner i strömmen, ner bland stenarna.

18 Men när han rycks bort därifrån, kommer han inte ens att vara saknad!

19 Detta är allt han har att se fram emot, och andra växer upp och tar hans plats.

20 Men lyssna! Gud kommer inte att förkasta den oskyldige, och inte heller att välsigna den skyldige.

21 Han ska än en gång fylla din mun med skratt och glädjerop.

22 De som hatar dig ska få skämmas, och de onda ska förgöras.