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Then answered Bildad the Shuchi, and said,

How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a raging ruach (wind)?

Doth El pervert mishpat (justice)? Or doth Shaddai pervert tzedek?

If thy banim have sinned against Him, and He have cast them away for their peysha (transgression);

If thou wouldest seek El (G-d) earnestly, and make thy techinnah (supplication) to Shaddai;

If thou wert pure and yashar; surely now He would rouse Himself for thee, and restore the habitation of thy tzedek.

Though thy reshit (beginning) was small, yet thy acharit (end) shall be exceedingly great.

For inquire, now, of the dor rishon (former age), and consider the research of their avot;

—For we are but of temol (yesterday, etmol) and know nothing, because yameinu (our days) upon earth are a tzel (shadow)—

10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and bring forth words out of their lev?

11 Can the papyrus grow up without marsh? Can the reed grow without mayim?

12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before kol khatzir (all grass).

13 So are the paths of all that forget El (G-d), and the tikvat chanef (hope of the hypocrite, the irreligious, the secretly wicked profane person) shall perish,

14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose reliance shall be a bais akavish (spider’s web).

15 He shall lean upon his bais, but it shall not stand, he shall cling to it, but it shall not hold.

16 He is like a green plant before the shemesh, and its branch shooteth forth in its gan (garden).

17 Its shorashim (roots) are wrapped about the rock heap, and it looks on the bais avanim (place of stones).

18 But when cast away from its makom, then its place shall deny it, saying, Loh re’iticha (I never saw thee).

19 Behold, thus was the joy of its derech, and others spring forth from the aphar (dust).

20 Surely El (G-d) will not cast away a blameless man, neither will He help the resha’im (evil-doers);

21 Till He fill thy mouth with sechok (laughter), and thy lips with teruah (shouts of joy).

22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with bushah (shame), and the ohel resha’im shall be no more.

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 mighty wind?
Doth God pervert justice?
Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness?
[a]If thy children have sinned against him,
And he hath delivered them into the hand of their transgression;
If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God,
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.
And though thy beginning was small,
Yet thy latter end would greatly increase.

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age,
And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out
(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 [b]rush grow up without mire?
Can the [c]flag grow without water?
12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down,
It withereth before any other herb.
13 So are the paths of all that forget God;
And the hope of the godless man shall perish:
14 Whose confidence shall [d]break in sunder,
And whose trust is a spider’s [e]web.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand:
He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.
16 He is green before the sun,
And his shoots go forth over his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped [f]about the stone-heap,
He beholdeth the place of stones.
18 If he be destroyed 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 [g]earth shall others spring.
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man,
Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.
21 [h]He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter,
And thy lips with shouting.
22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame;
And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.

Footnotes

  1. Job 8:4 Or, If thy children sinned . . . he delivered etc.
  2. Job 8:11 Or, papyrus
  3. Job 8:11 Or, reed-grass
  4. Job 8:14 Or, be cut off
  5. Job 8:14 Hebrew house.
  6. Job 8:17 Or, beside the spring
  7. Job 8:19 Or, dust
  8. Job 8:21 Or, Till he fill