| 1 | Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said, |
| 2 | How long will you say these things, and how long will the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? |
| 3 | Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging? |
| 4 | If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand. |
| 5 | If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all; |
| 6 | If you are clean and upright; then he will certainly be moved to take up your cause, and will make clear your righteousness by building up your house again. |
| 7 | And though your start was small, your end will be very great. |
| 8 | Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers: |
| 9 | (For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade:) |
| 10 | Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you? |
| 11 | Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water? |
| 12 | When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant. |
| 13 | So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing: |
| 14 | Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread. |
| 15 | He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing. |
| 16 | He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden. |
| 17 | His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them. |
| 18 | If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you. |
| 19 | Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place. |
| 20 | Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand. |
| 21 | The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips. |
| 22 | Your haters will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the sinner will not be seen again. |