Job 8

¹ Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

² “How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

³ Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

⁴ If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.

⁵ If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty.

⁶ If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.

⁷ Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.

⁸ “Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.

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

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

¹¹ “Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water?

¹² While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed.

¹³ So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,

¹⁴ whose confidence will break apart, whose trust is a spider’s web.

¹⁵ He will lean on his house, but it will not stand. He will cling to it, but it will not endure.

¹⁶ He is green before the sun. His shoots go out along his garden.

¹⁷ His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.

¹⁸ If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

¹⁹ Behold, this is the joy of his way. Out of the earth, others will spring.

²⁰ “Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers.

²¹ He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

²² Those who hate you will be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked will be no more.”