Job 8

Bildad’s First Response to Job

1 Then ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, ^{▼▼Hebrew “he said”}

2 “⌞How long⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “Until when”} will you say these things,
and the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Does God pervert justice,
⌞or⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “and if”} Shaddai pervert righteousness?
4 If your children sinned against him,
then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he sent them into the ⌞power⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “hand”} of their transgression.
5 If you yourself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} would seek God,
then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} you would plead to Shaddai for grace.
6 If you are pure and upright,
indeed, ^{▼▼Or “even,” or “yes”} now he will rouse himself for you,
and he will restore your righteous abode.
7 Though ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} your beginning was small,
your end ^{▼▼Hebrew “and your end”} will be very great.
8 “Indeed, ^{▼▼Or “For”} please inquire of former generations,
and consider ⌞what their ancestors have found⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “as to the finding of their fathers”}
9 for we are of yesterday, and we do not know,
for our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they themselves ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} not teach you and ⌞tell you⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “they will say to you”}
and ⌞utter⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “they will bring out”} words from their heart?
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is not a marsh?
Will reeds flourish without water? ^{▼▼Or “where there is no water”}
12 While it is in its flower and is not plucked,
yet ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} it withers ⌞before⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “to the faces of”} all grass.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
and the hope of the godless will perish,
14 whose confidence is cut off
and ⌞whose trust⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “his trust”} is a spider’s house.
15 He will lean himself against his house, but ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} it will not stand;
he will take hold of it, but ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} it will not endure.
16 He is ⌞thriving⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “soaked,” or “well-watered”} ⌞before⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “to the faces of”} the sun,
and his plant shoots spread over his garden.
17 His roots twine over a stone heap;
he sees a house of stone.
18 If he destroys him from his place,
then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} it deceives him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
19 Look, this is the joy of his way,
and from dust others will spring up.
20 “Look, God will not reject the blameless,
and he will not uphold the hand of evildoers.
21 Yet he will fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with a shout of joy.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the tent of the wicked ⌞will be no more⌟.” ^{▼▼Literally “there is not it,” or “it is not”}