Job 8

¹But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said:

²How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?

³Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?

⁴And if now your children have sinned against him, and he has dismissed them into the power of their iniquity,

⁵even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.

⁶If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,

⁷so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.

⁸For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,

⁹(of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow,)

¹⁰and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.

¹¹Can the marsh plant live without moisture? Or can sedges grow without water?

¹²When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.

¹³Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.

¹⁴His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.

¹⁵He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.

¹⁶He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.

¹⁷His roots will crowd together over a heap of stones, and among the stones he will remain.

¹⁸If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”

¹⁹For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.

²⁰God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,

²¹even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.

²²Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.

¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

²How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

³Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

⁴If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

⁵If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

⁶If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

⁷Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

⁸For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

⁹(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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