1  Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said

1  But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said

2  How long wilt thou speak these things, seeing that the words of thy mouth are as a mighty wind?

2  How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?

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

3  Will the Lord be unjust when he judges; or will he that has made all things pervert justice?

3  Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?

4  If thy children sinned against Him, He delivered them into the hand of their transgression.

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

5  But be thou early in prayer to the Lord Almighty.

5  even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.

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

6  If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,

7  And though thy beginning was small, yet thy end should greatly increase.

7  so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.

8  For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out--

8  For ask of the former generation, and search diligently among the race of our fathers

8  For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,

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

9  (for we are of yesterday, and know nothing; for our life upon the earth is a shadow:)

9  (of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow,)

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

10  and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.

10  And, behold, they shall teach you, and tell you, and utter words out of their heart.

11  Can the rush shoot up without mire? Can the reed-grass grow without water?

11  Does the rush flourish without water, or shall the flag grow up without moisture?

11  Can papyrus grow in a thirsty land? Can reeds grow where there is no water?

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

12  When it is yet on the root, and though it has not been cut down, does not any herb wither before it has received moisture?

12  When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.

13  So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the godless man shall perish;

13  Thus then shall be the end of all that forget the Lord: for the hope of the ungodly shall perish.

13  Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.

14  Whose confidence is gossamer, and whose trust is a spider's web.

14  For his house shall be without inhabitants, and his tent shall prove a spider’s web.

14  His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.

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

15  If he should prop up his house, it shall not stand: and when he has taken hold of it, it shall not remain.

15  He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.

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

16  For it is moist under the sun, and his branch shall come forth out of his dung-heap.

16  He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.

17  His roots are wrapped about the heap, he beholdeth the place of stones.

17  He lies down upon a gathering of stones, and shall live in the mist of flints.

17  He shall see his house a heap of stones.

18  If he be destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him: 'I have not seen thee.'

18  If God should destroy him, his place shall deny him. Hast thou not seen such things,

18  If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”

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

19  that such is the overthrow of the ungodly? and out of the earth another shall grow.

19  For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.

20  Behold, God will not cast away an innocent man, neither will He uphold the evil-doers;

20  For the Lord will by no means reject the harmless man; but he will not receive any gift of the ungodly.

20  God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,

21  Till He fill thy mouth with laughter, and thy lips with shouting.

21  But he will fill with laughter the mouth of the sincere, and their lips with thanksgiving.

21  even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.

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

22  But their adversaries shall clothe themselves with shame; and the habitation of the ungodly shall perish.

22  Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.