Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

How long will you continue to speak such things? Your words are like a mighty wind.

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

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

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

If your children have sinned against Him, He gave them over to the consequences of their transgressions.

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

But if you earnestly seek God and plead for mercy from the Almighty,

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

if you are pure and upright, surely now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous dwelling.

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

Though your beginning was small, your future will be greatly increased.

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

Ask the previous generation, and give thought to the findings of their ancestors;

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

for we were only born yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow.

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

Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?

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

Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh? Can reeds thrive without water?

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

While still in their greenness and not cut down, they wither more quickly than any grass.

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

Such is the fate of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish.

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

Their confidence is easily cut off, and their trust is like a spider's web.

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

They lean on their house, but it does not stand; they grasp it, but it does not hold firm.

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

They are green before the sun, and their shoots spread out over the garden.

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

Their roots are entwined around a heap of rocks; they look for a home among the stones.

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

But if they are uprooted from their place, that place will deny them, saying, 'I never saw you.'

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

Surely this is the joy of their way, and out of the dust, others will spring up.

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

Behold, God will not reject the blameless, nor will He support the hand of evildoers.

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

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

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

Your enemies will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will no longer exist.

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