Chapter 8

Bildad Says God Rewards the Good

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite 1answered,

2 “How long will you say these things,

And the awords of your mouth be a mighty wind?

3 “Does aGod pervert justice?

Or does 1the Almighty pervert what is right?

4 “aIf your sons sinned against Him,

Then He delivered them into the 1power of their transgression.

5 “If you would aseek God

And implore the compassion of 1the Almighty,

6 If you are pure and upright,

Surely now aHe would rouse Himself for you

And restore your righteous 1bestate.

7 “Though your beginning was insignificant,

Yet your aend will increase greatly.

8 “Please ainquire of past generations,

And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

9 “For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,

Because aour days on earth are as a shadow.

10 “Will they not teach you and tell you,

And bring forth words from their minds?

11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?

Can the rushes grow without water?

12 “While it is still green and not cut down,

Yet it withers before any other 1plant.

13 “So are the paths of aall who forget God;

And the bhope of the godless will perish,

14 Whose confidence is fragile,

And whose trust a aspider’s 1web.

15 “He 1trusts in his ahouse, but it does not stand;

He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.

16 “He 1athrives before the sun,

And his bshoots spread out over his garden.

17 “His roots wrap around a rock pile,

He 1grasps a house of stones.

18 “If he is 1removed from ahis place,

Then it will deny him, saying, ‘bI never saw you.’

19 “Behold, athis is the joy of His way;

And out of the dust others will spring.

20 “Lo, aGod will not reject a man of integrity,

Nor bwill He 1support the evildoers.

21 “He will yet fill ayour mouth with laughter

And your lips with shouting.

22 “Those who hate you will be aclothed with shame,

And the btent of the wicked will be no longer.”