¹Then Bildad the Shuhite answered ,

²“How long will you speak these things?

Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind ?

³Does God pervert justice ?

Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness ?

⁴If your children have sinned against him ,

he has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.

⁵If you want to seek God diligently ,

make your supplication to the Almighty .

⁶If you were pure and upright ,

surely now he would awaken for you ,

and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous .

⁷Though your beginning was small ,

yet your latter end would greatly increase .

⁸“Please enquire of past generations .

Find out about the learning of their fathers.

⁹(For we are but of yesterday , and know nothing ,

because our days on earth are a shadow .)

¹⁰Shall they not teach you , tell you ,

and utter words out of their heart ?

¹¹“Can the papyrus grow up without mire ?

Can the rushes grow without water ?

¹²While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down ,

it withers before any other reed.

¹³So are the paths of all who forget God.

The hope of the godless man will perish,

¹⁴whose confidence will break apart,

whose trust is a spider’s web .

¹⁵He will lean on his house , but it will not stand .

He will cling to it , but it will not endure .

¹⁶He is green before the sun .

His shoots go out along his garden .

¹⁷His roots are wrapped around the rock pile .

He sees the place of stones.

¹⁸If he is destroyed from his place ,

then it will deny him , saying, ‘I have not seen you .’

¹⁹Behold , this is the joy of his way .

Out of the earth , others will spring .

²⁰“Behold , God will not cast away a blameless man ,

neither will he uphold the evildoers .

²¹He will still fill your mouth with laughter ,

your lips with shouting .

²²Those who hate you will be clothed with shame .

The tent of the wicked will be no more .”