Job 8

¹ Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,

² How long will you say these things, and how long will the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?

³ Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

⁴ If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.

⁵ If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

⁶ If you are clean and upright; then he will certainly be moved to take up your cause, and will make clear your righteousness by building up your house again.

⁷ And though your start was small, your end will be very great.

⁸ Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:

⁹ (For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade:)

¹⁰ Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you?

¹¹ Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

¹² When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.

¹³ So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

¹⁴ Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider’s thread.

¹⁵ He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing.

¹⁶ He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.

¹⁷ His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.

¹⁸ If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.

¹⁹ Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place.

²⁰ Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.

²¹ The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.

²² Your haters will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the sinner will not be seen again.