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Bildad Says God Rewards the Good

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,


“How long will you say these things?
And will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

“Does God pervert justice?
Or does [a]the Almighty pervert righteousness?

“If your children have sinned against Him,
Then He has handed them over to the power of their transgression and punished them.

“If you would [diligently] seek God
And implore the compassion and favor of the Almighty,

Then, if you are pure and upright,
Surely now He will awaken for you
And restore your righteous place.

“Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your end will greatly increase.


“Inquire, please, of past generations,
And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.

“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are [like] a shadow [just a breath or a vapor].
10 
“Will they (the fathers) not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their hearts [the deepest part of their nature]?

11 
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes or reed grass grow without water?
12 
“While it is still green (in flower) and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant [when without water].
13 
“So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish,
14 
For his confidence is fragile and breaks,
And his trust is [like] a spider’s web.
15 
“He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds tightly to it, but it does not endure.
16 
“He thrives and prospers [like a green plant] before the sun,
And his branches spread out over his garden.
17 
“His [godless] roots are wrapped around a pile of rocks,
And he gazes at a house of stones.
18 
“If he is snatched from his place [in the garden],
Then his place will forget him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
19 
“Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And from out of the dust others will spring up and grow [to take his place].
20 
“Behold, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He strengthen or support evildoers.
21 
“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with joyful shouting [if you are found blameless].
22 
“Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tents of the wicked will be no longer.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 8:3 Heb Shaddai.

书亚比勒达回答说:
“这些话你要说到几时?
你口中的言语如狂风要到几时呢?
 神岂能偏离公平?
全能者岂能偏离公义?
或者你的儿女得罪了他,
他就把他们交在过犯的掌控中。
你若切切寻求 神,
向全能者恳求;
你若纯洁正直,
他必定为你兴起,
使你公义的居所兴旺。
你起初虽然微小,
日后必非常强盛。

“请你询问上代,
思念他们祖先所查究的。
我们不过从昨日才有,一无所知,
因我们在世的日子好像影子。
10 他们岂不指教你,告诉你,
说出发自内心的言语呢?

11 “蒲草没有泥岂能生长?
芦荻没有水岂能长大?
12 它还青翠,没有割下的时候,
比百样的草先枯槁。
13 凡忘记 神的人,路途也是这样;
不虔敬人的指望要灭没。
14 他所仰赖的必折断,
他所倚靠的是蜘蛛网。
15 他要倚靠房屋,房屋却站立不住;
他要抓住房屋,房屋却不能存留。
16 他在日光之下茂盛,
嫩枝在园中蔓延;
17 他的根盘绕石堆,
钻入石缝[a]
18 他若从本地被拔出,
那地就不认识他,说:‘我没有见过你。’
19 看哪,这就是他道路中的喜乐,
以后必另有人从尘土而生。
20 看哪, 神必不丢弃完全人,
也不扶助邪恶人的手。
21 他还要以喜笑充满你的口,
以欢呼充满你的嘴唇。
22 恨恶你的要披戴羞愧,
恶人的帐棚必归于无有。”

Footnotes

  1. 8.17 “钻入石缝”:原文是“看见石屋”。

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