1 And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and the words of thy mouth be a strong wind?3 Doth *God pervert judgment, and the Almighty pervert justice?4 If thy children have sinned against him, he hath also given them over into the hand of their transgression.5 If thou seek earnestly unto *God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,6 If thou be pure and upright, surely now he will awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous;7 And though thy beginning was small, yet thine end shall be very great.8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and attend to the researches of their fathers;9 For we are {but} of yesterday, and know nothing, for our days upon earth are a shadow.10 Shall not they teach thee, {and} tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?11 Doth the papyrus shoot up without mire? doth the reed-grass grow without water?12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness {and} not cut down, it withereth before any {other} grass.13 So are the paths of all that forget *God; and the profane man's hope shall perish,14 Whose confidence shall be cut off, and his reliance is a spider's web.15 He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; he shall lay hold on it, but it shall not endure.16 He is full of sap before the sun, and his sprout shooteth forth over his garden;17 His roots are entwined about the stoneheap; he seeth the place of stones.18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him: I have not seen thee!19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the dust shall others grow.20 Behold, *God will not cast off a perfect man, neither will he take evil-doers by the hand.21 Whilst he would fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with shouting,22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked be no more.

1 Toe het Bildad, die Suhiet, geantwoord en gesê:2 Hoe lank sal jy hierdie dinge spreek en die woorde van jou mond 'n geweldige wind wees?3 Sou God die reg verdraai, of die Almagtige die geregtigheid krenk?4 As jou kinders teen Hom gesondig het, het Hy hulle aan hul oortreding oorgegee.5 As jy na God soek en die Almagtige om genade smeek,6 as jy rein en opreg is, ja, dan sal Hy oor jou opwaak en jou woning herstel ooreenkomstig jou geregtigheid;7 dan sal jou begin gering wees, maar jou einde baie groot.8 Want doen tog navraag by die vorige geslag, en gee ag op wat hulle vaders nagespeur het;10 sal hulle jou nie leer, jou dit nie sê en woorde uit hul hart voortbring nie?11 Skiet die biesie op waar geen moeras is nie? Groei die riet sonder water?12 Nog is dit in sy volle groei -- sonder dat dit afgepluk word -- dan verdor dit voor al die ander gras.13 So gaan dit met almal wat God vergeet, en so vergaan die verwagting van die goddelose;14 sy hoop is afgesny en die voorwerp van sy vertroue is 'n spinnerak.15 Hy steun op sy huis, maar dit bly nie staan nie; hy klem hom daaraan vas, maar dit hou geen stand nie.16 Vol sap staan hy in die son, en sy ranke sprei uit oor sy tuin.17 Sy wortels is gevleg oor 'n hoop klippe heen, 'n kliphuis deurboor hy.18 As Hy hom vernietig uit sy plek, sal dit hom verloën en sê: Ek het jou nie gesien nie.19 Kyk, dit is die vreugde van sy lewensweg, en uit die stof spruit daar ander uit!20 Kyk, God verwerp die vrome nie, en Hy vat die kwaaddoeners nie aan die hand nie.21 Terwyl Hy jou mond met gelag vervul en jou lippe met gejuig,22 sal jou haters met skaamte beklee word, en die tent van die goddelose -- weg is dit!