1 T hen Bildad the Shuhite answered,

And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

2 “ How long will you say these things, And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

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

3 “ Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?

Doth God pervert judgment, and the Almighty pervert justice?

4 “ If your sons sinned against Him, Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression.

If thy children have sinned against him, he hath also given them over into the hand of their transgression.

5 “ If you would seek God And implore the compassion of the Almighty,

If thou seek earnestly unto God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,

6 I f you are pure and upright, Surely now He would rouse Himself for you And restore your righteous estate.

If thou be pure and upright, surely now he will awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous;

7 “ Though your beginning was insignificant, Yet your end will increase greatly.

And though thy beginning was small, yet thine end shall be very great.

8 “ Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and attend to the researches of their fathers;

9 “ For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are as a shadow.

For we are of yesterday, and know nothing, for our days upon earth are a shadow.

10 “ Will they not teach you and tell you, And bring forth words from their minds?

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

11 “ Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water?

Doth the papyrus shoot up without mire? doth the reed-grass grow without water?

12 “ While it is still green and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other plant.

Whilst it is yet in its greenness not cut down, it withereth before any grass.

13 “ So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish,

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the profane man's hope shall perish,

14 W hose confidence is fragile, And whose trust a spider’s web.

Whose confidence shall be cut off, and his reliance is a spider's web.

15 “ He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.

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

16 “ He thrives before the sun, And his shoots spread out over his garden.

He is full of sap before the sun, and his sprout shooteth forth over his garden;

17 “ His roots wrap around a rock pile, He grasps a house of stones.

His roots are entwined about the stoneheap; he seeth the place of stones.

18 “ If he is removed from his place, Then it will deny him, saying, ‘ I never saw you.’

If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him: I have not seen thee!

19 “ Behold, this is the joy of His way; And out of the dust others will spring.

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

20 “ Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity, Nor will He support the evildoers.

Behold, God will not cast off a perfect man, neither will he take evil-doers by the hand.

21 “ He will yet fill your mouth with laughter And your lips with shouting.

Whilst he would fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with shouting,

22 “ Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the tent of the wicked will be no longer.”

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked be no more.