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 书亚人比勒达回答说：

2 "这些话你要说到几时， 你口中的言语像狂风到几时呢？

3 神怎会歪曲公平？全能者怎会屈枉公义？

4 你的儿女若得罪了他， 他就因他们的过犯撇弃他们。

5 你若殷勤寻求 神， 向全能者恳求；

6 你若又洁净又正直， 他就必为你奋起， 复兴你公义的居所。

7 你起初虽然微小， 到后来必定非常兴旺。

8 请你查问前几代， 留意他们列祖所查究的。

9 我们只是昨天才有的， 所以一无所知； 我们在世的日子不过是影儿。

10 难道他们不指教你， 从心里发出言语来吗？

11 蒲草没有泥， 怎能生长？芦苇没有水， 怎能长大呢？

12 尚青还没有割下来的时候， 就比百草先枯槁。

13 忘记 神的， 他们的末路也是这样； 不敬虔的人， 他的指望必成泡影。

14 他所自恃的， 必被折断； 他所靠赖的， 不过是蜘蛛网。

15 他倚靠自己的家， 家却立不住， 他抓紧自己的家， 家却存不久。

16 他在阳光之下， 枝润叶青， 它的嫩枝长满园子，

17 它的根缠绕石堆， 扎入石地之中。

18 他若从本处被拔除， 那处就否认他， 说： ‘我没有见过你。’

19 看哪， 这就是他人生的乐趣， 往后必有别的人从尘土中生出来。

20 看哪， 神必不离弃完全人， 也不扶助行恶的人之手；

21 他还要以欢笑充满你的口， 以欢呼充满你的嘴。

22 恨你的都必以羞耻为衣， 恶人的帐棚必归于无有。"