Job 8
Revised Geneva Translation
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, and said,
2 “How long will you talk of these things? And how long shall the words of your mouth be as a mighty wind?
3 “Does God pervert judgment? Or does the Almighty subvert justice?
4 “If your sons have sinned against Him, and He has sent them into the place of their iniquity,
5 “if you will seek God early, and pray to the Almighty,
6 “if you are pure and upright, then surely He will be stirred up. And He will make the habitation of your righteousness peaceful.
7 “And though your beginning was small, your future shall greatly increase.
8 “Please inquire, therefore, of the previous age, and prepare yourself to search their fathers.
9 “(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.”
Job 8
International Standard Version
Bildad: God Rewards the Godly
8 Then in response, Bildad from Shuah said:
2 “How long will you keep talking like this?
How long will you keep talking like a wind storm?
3 Does God pervert justice?
Does the Almighty pervert what’s right?
4 “If your children sin against him,
he’ll make them a prisoner[a] of their sins.
5 If you seek God,
if you ask the Almighty for mercy,
6 if you are clean and upright,
surely then, he’ll act on your behalf
and restore your rightful[b] place.
7 Your beginning may be small,
but later years[c] will be very great.
8 “Inquire of the previous generation, won’t you please?
Consider what their forefathers searched out.
9 Because we are of yesterday and we know nothing,
for our time on earth is only a shadow.
10 Won’t they instruct you, and tell you,
and bring out words from the heart?
11 “Can papyrus grow where there’s no marsh?
Can reeds flourish without water?
12 While they are still green
and not yet ready to be harvested,
they wither before any plant.
13 Such are the paths of everyone who forgets God—
the hope of the godless will be destroyed:
14 his confidence is shattered;
his trust is in a spider’s web.
15 He leans against his house,
but it won’t stand;
he grabs hold of it firmly,
but it doesn’t last.
16 He is a fresh sapling planted in the sunlight,
spreading out its branches over its garden.
17 Its roots weave around a pile of stones,
seeking to entrench itself among the rocks.
18 If he is uprooted[d] from his place,
then it will deny him:
‘I never saw you.’
19 “Indeed, this is the benefit of God’s[e] way:
from the soil other plants[f] will sprout.
20 Surely God won’t reject those who are blameless
or hold hands with those who practice evil.
21 He will soon fill your mouth with laughter,
and your lips will shout with joy.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the tent of the wicked will no longer exist.
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