8 Then answered aBildad the Shuhite, and said,

2  How long wilt thou speak these things?

And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like ba strong wind?

3  cDoth God pervert judgment?

Or ddoth the Almighty pervert justice?

4  If ethy children have sinned against him,

And he have cast them away †for their transgression;

5  fIf thou wouldest gseek unto God betimes,

And make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6  If thou wert pure and upright;

Surely now he would awake for thee,

And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7  Though thy beginning was small,

Yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

8  hFor inquire, I pray thee, of the former age,

And prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

9  (For iwe are but of yesterday, and know †nothing,

Because our days upon earth are ja shadow:)

10  Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee,

And utter words out of their heart?

11  Can the krush grow up without mire?

Can the lflag grow without water?

12  mWhilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down,

It withereth before any other herb.

13  So are the paths of all that forget God;

And the nhypocrite’s hope shall perish:

14  Whose hope shall be cut off,

And whose trust shall be †a spider’s web.

15  He shall lean upon ohis house, but it shall not stand:

He shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

16  He is pgreen before the sun,

And his qbranch shooteth forth in his garden.

17  His roots are rwrapped about the heap,

And seeth the place of stones.

18  If he destroy him sfrom his place,

Then it shall deny him, tsaying, I have not seen thee.

19  Behold, this is the joy of his way,

And uout of the earth shall others grow.

20  Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man,

Neither will he †help the evil doers:

21  Till he xfill thy mouth with laughing,

And thy lips with †rejoicing.

22  They that hate thee shall be yclothed with shame;

And the zdwelling place of the wicked †shall come to nought.