1 T hen Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2 “ How long will you speak these things, And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?

How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a mighty wind?

3 D oes God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?

Doth God pervert justice? Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness?

4 I f your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression.

If thy children have sinned against him, And he hath delivered them into the hand of their transgression;

5 I f you would earnestly seek God And make your supplication to the Almighty,

If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6 I f you were pure and upright, Surely now He would awake for you, And prosper your rightful dwelling place.

If thou wert pure and upright: Surely now he would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7 T hough your beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.

And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end would greatly increase.

8 “ For inquire, please, of the former age, And consider the things discovered by their fathers;

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

9 F or we were born yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days on earth are a shadow.

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

10 W ill they not teach you and tell you, And utter words from their heart?

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

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

Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water?

12 W hile it is yet green and not cut down, It withers before any other plant.

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

13 S o are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish,

So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish:

14 W hose confidence shall be cut off, And whose trust is a spider’s web.

Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider's web.

15 H e leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure.

He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.

16 H e grows green in the sun, And his branches spread out in his garden.

He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden.

17 H is roots wrap around the rock heap, And look for a place in the stones.

His roots are wrapped about the stone -heap, He beholdeth the place of stones.

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

If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

19 “ Behold, this is the joy of His way, And out of the earth others will grow.

Behold, this is the joy of his way; And out of the earth shall others spring.

20 B ehold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers.

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.

21 H e will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with rejoicing.

He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting.

22 T hose who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”

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