Bildad defends God

¹Bildad from Shuah responded:

²How long will you mouth such things

such that your utterances become a strong wind?

³Does God pervert justice,

or does the Almighty distort what is right?

⁴If your children sinned against him,

then he delivered them into the power of their rebellion.

⁵If you will search eagerly for God,

plead with the Almighty.

⁶If you are pure and do the right thing,

then surely he will become active on your behalf

and reward your innocent dwelling.

⁷Although your former state was ordinary,

your future will be extraordinary.

Tradition

⁸Ask a previous generation

⁹for we are only recently here and don’t know

¹⁰Won’t they instruct you and tell you;

will words not proceed from their hearts?

Examples from nature

¹¹Does papyrus grow apart from a marsh?

Does a reed flourish without water?

¹³So are the paths of all who forget God.

Hope perishes for the godless,

¹⁴whose confidence is a fragile thing,[#8.14 Heb uncertain]

¹⁵He leans on its web, and it doesn’t stand;

grasps it, and it can’t remain in place.

¹⁶It’s like a well-watered plant in the sun;

its runners spread over its gardens.

¹⁷Its roots are entwined over a pile of rocks,

for it sees a home among stones.

¹⁸If it’s uprooted from its place,

it lies, saying, “I can’t see you.”

¹⁹Surely its way is a joy,

for from the dust other plants sprout.

God’s faithfulness

²⁰Surely God won’t reject integrity,

won’t strengthen the hand of the wicked.

²¹He will still fill your mouth with joy,

your lips with a victorious shout.

²²Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,

and the tent of the wicked will vanish.