8 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

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

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

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

⁵ If thou wouldest seek 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 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

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

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

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

¹² Whilst 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 hypocrite'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 his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

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

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

¹⁸ If he destroy him 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 shall others grow.

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

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

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

49 Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

² Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

³ My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

⁴ I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

⁵ Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

⁶ They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

⁷ None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

⁸ (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

⁹ That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

¹⁰ For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹ Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

¹² Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³ This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

¹⁴ Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

¹⁵ But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

¹⁶ Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

¹⁷ For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

¹⁸ Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

¹⁹ He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

²⁰ Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.