Bildad

Then Bildad the Shuhite(A) replied:

“How long will you say such things?(B)
    Your words are a blustering wind.(C)
Does God pervert justice?(D)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(E)
When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(F)
But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead(G) with the Almighty,(H)
if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(I)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.(J)
Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous(K) will your future be.(L)

“Ask the former generation(M)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(N)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.(O)
10 Will they not instruct(P) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(R)
    Can reeds(S) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.(T)
13 Such is the destiny(U) of all who forget God;(V)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile[a];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.(X)
15 They lean on the web,(Y) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots(AA) over the garden;(AB)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(AD)
19 Surely its life withers(AE) away,
    and[b] from the soil other plants grow.(AF)

20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(AG)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(AH)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(AI)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.(AJ)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(AK)
    and the tents(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”(AM)

Job

Then Job replied:

“Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(AN)
Though they wished to dispute with him,(AO)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(AP)
His wisdom(AQ) is profound, his power is vast.(AR)
    Who has resisted(AS) him and come out unscathed?(AT)
He moves mountains(AU) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.(AV)
He shakes the earth(AW) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.(AX)
He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(AY)
    he seals off the light of the stars.(AZ)
He alone stretches out the heavens(BA)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.(BB)
He is the Maker(BC) of the Bear[c] and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(BD)
10 He performs wonders(BE) that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.(BF)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
    when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(BG)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(BH)
    Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(BI)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(BJ)
    even the cohorts of Rahab(BK) cowered at his feet.

14 “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?(BL)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(BM)
    I could only plead(BN) with my Judge(BO) for mercy.(BP)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(BQ)
17 He would crush me(BR) with a storm(BS)
    and multiply(BT) my wounds for no reason.(BU)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.(BV)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(BW)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[d]?(BX)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(BY)

21 “Although I am blameless,(BZ)
    I have no concern for myself;(CA)
    I despise my own life.(CB)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(CC)
23 When a scourge(CD) brings sudden death,
    he mocks the despair of the innocent.(CE)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(CF)
    he blindfolds its judges.(CG)
    If it is not he, then who is it?(CH)

25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(CI)
    they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(CJ)
26 They skim past(CK) like boats of papyrus,(CL)
    like eagles swooping down on their prey.(CM)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(CN)
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(CO) all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.(CP)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?(CQ)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(CR)
    and my hands(CS) with cleansing powder,(CT)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(CU)
    so that even my clothes would detest me.(CV)

32 “He is not a mere mortal(CW) like me that I might answer him,(CX)
    that we might confront each other in court.(CY)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(CZ)
    someone to bring us together,(DA)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(DB)
    so that his terror would frighten me no more.(DC)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(DD)
    but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(DE)

10 “I loathe my very life;(DF)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(DG)
I say to God:(DH) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(DI) you have against me.(DJ)
Does it please you to oppress me,(DK)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(DL)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(DM)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(DN)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(DO)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(DP)
though you know that I am not guilty(DQ)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(DR)

“Your hands shaped(DS) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(DT)
Remember that you molded me like clay.(DU)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(DV)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together(DW) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(DX) and showed me kindness,(DY)
    and in your providence(DZ) watched over(EA) my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(EB)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(EC)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(ED)
15 If I am guilty(EE)—woe to me!(EF)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(EG)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[e] my affliction.(EH)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(EI)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(EJ)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(EK)
    and increase your anger toward me;(EL)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(EM)

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(EN)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(EO)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(EP)
20 Are not my few days(EQ) almost over?(ER)
    Turn away from me(ES) so I can have a moment’s joy(ET)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(EU)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(EV)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(EW) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(EX)

Footnotes

  1. Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that
  3. Job 9:9 Or of Leo
  4. Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.
  5. Job 10:15 Or and aware of

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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.

Then Job answered and said,

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

26 They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29 If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

10 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.

12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.