Job 8

¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

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

³Will God pervert judgment? Or will the Almighty pervert justice?

⁴As thy children sinned against him, He hath given them up to their transgression.

⁵But if thou wilt seek early to God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty,—

⁶If thou wilt be pure and upright, Surely he will yet arise for thee, And prosper thy righteous habitation;

⁷So that thy beginning shall be small, And thy latter end very great.

⁸For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And mark what hath been searched out by their fathers;

⁹(For we are of yesterday and know nothing, Since our days upon the earth are but a shadow;)

¹⁰Will not they instruct thee, and tell thee, And utter words from their understanding?

¹¹"Can the paper-reed grow up without mire? Can the bulrush grow without water?

¹²While it is yet in its greenness, and is not cut down, It withereth before any other herb.

¹³Such is the fate of all who forget God; So perisheth the hope of the ungodly.

¹⁴His confidence shall come to nought, And his trust shall prove a spider’s web.

¹⁵He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; He shall lay fast hold on it, but it shall not endure.

¹⁶He is in full green before the sun, And his branches shoot forth over his garden;

¹⁷His roots are entwined about the heap, And he seeth the place of stones;

¹⁸When he shall be destroyed from his place, It shall deny him, saying, ‘I never saw thee.’

¹⁹Lo! such is the joy of his course! And others shall spring up from his place"

²⁰Behold, God will not cast away an upright man; Nor will he help the evil-doers.

²¹While he filleth thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with gladness,

²²They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, And the dwelling-place of the wicked shall come to nought.

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.