8:1

וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹאמַר׃

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

8:2

עַד־אָן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵלֶּה וְרוּחַ כַּבִּיר אִמְרֵי־פִיךָ׃

How long wilt thou speak these things, Seeing that the words of thy mouth are as a mighty wind?

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8:3

הַאֵל יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּט וְאִם־שַׁדַּי יְעַוֵּת־צֶדֶק׃

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

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8:4

אִם־בָּנֶיךָ חָטְאוּ־לוֹ וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָם׃

If thy children sinned against Him, He delivered them into the hand of their transgression.

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8:5

אִם־אַתָּה תְּשַׁחֵר אֶל־אֵל וְאֶל־שַׁדַּי תִּתְחַנָּן׃

If thou wouldest seek earnestly unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty;

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8:6

אִם־זַךְ וְיָשָׁר אָתָּה כִּי־עַתָּה יָעִיר עָלֶיךָ וְשִׁלַּם נְוַת צִדְקֶךָ׃

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

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8:7

וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹד׃

And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy end should greatly increase.

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8:8

כִּי־שְׁאַל־נָא לְדֹר רִישׁוֹן וְכוֹנֵן לְחֵקֶר אֲבוֹתָם׃

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out—

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8:9

כִּי־תְמוֹל אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ׃

For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days upon earth are a shadow—

8:10

הֲלֹא־הֵם יוֹרוּךָ יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ וּמִלִּבָּם יוֹצִאוּ מִלִּים׃

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

8:11

הֲיִגְאֶה־גֹּמֶא בְּלֹא בִצָּה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָחוּ בְלִי־מָיִם׃

Can the rush shoot up without mire? Can the reed-grass grow without water?

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8:12

עֹדֶנּוּ בְאִבּוֹ לֹא יִקָּטֵף וְלִפְנֵי כָל־חָצִיר יִיבָשׁ׃

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

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8:13

כֵּן אָרְחוֹת כָּל־שֹׁכְחֵי אֵל וְתִקְוַת חָנֵף תֹּאבֵד׃

So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish;

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8:14

אֲשֶׁר־יָקוֹט כִּסְלוֹ וּבֵית עַכָּבִישׁ מִבְטַחוֹ׃

Whose confidence is gossamer, And whose trust is a spider’s web.

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8:15

יִשָּׁעֵן עַל־בֵּיתוֹ וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד יַחֲזִיק בּוֹ וְלֹא יָקוּם׃

He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.

8:16

רָטֹב הוּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁמֶשׁ וְעַל גַּנָּתוֹ יֹנַקְתּוֹ תֵצֵא׃

He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden.

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8:17

עַל־גַּל שָׁרָשָׁיו יְסֻבָּכוּ בֵּית אֲבָנִים יֶחֱזֶה׃

His roots are wrapped about the heap, He beholdeth the place of stones.

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8:18

אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וְכִחֶשׁ בּוֹ לֹא רְאִיתִיךָ׃

If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him: ‘I have not seen thee.’

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8:19

הֶן־הוּא מְשׂוֹשׂ דַּרְכּוֹ וּמֵעָפָר אַחֵר יִצְמָחוּ׃

Behold, this is the joy of his way, And out of the earth shall others spring.

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8:20

הֶן־אֵל לֹא יִמְאַס־תָּם וְלֹא־יַחֲזִיק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִים׃

Behold, God will not cast away an innocent man, Neither will He uphold the evil-doers;

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8:21

עַד־יְמַלֵּה שְׂחוֹק פִּיךָ וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ תְרוּעָה׃

Till He fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting.

8:22

שֹׂנְאֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וְאֹהֶל רְשָׁעִים אֵינֶנּוּ׃

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.