Job 8, side by side

¹Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

²“How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.

²How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

³Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?

³Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

⁴When your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to their rebellion.

⁴If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

⁵But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy,

⁵If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

⁶if you are pure and upright, even now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate.

⁶If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

⁷Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish.

⁷Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

⁸Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.

⁸For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

⁹For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow.

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

¹⁰Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding?

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

¹¹Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water?

¹¹Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?

¹²While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up quicker than grass.

¹²Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

¹³Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.

¹³So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish:

¹⁴His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web.

¹⁴Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web.

¹⁵He leans on his web, but it gives way; he holds fast, but it does not endure.

¹⁵He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

¹⁶He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden.

¹⁶He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

¹⁷His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones.

¹⁷His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

¹⁸If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’

¹⁸If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

¹⁹Surely this is the joy of his way; yet others will spring from the dust.

¹⁹Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.

²⁰Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.

²⁰Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

²¹He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy.

²¹Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

²²Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”

²²They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.