Chapter text
World English Bible
Verse-by-verse text with stable anchors, canonical chapter URLs, and copyable verse links.
- 1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,
- 2 “How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
- 3 Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
- 4 If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.
- 5 If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty.
- 6 If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.
- 7 Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.
- 8 “Please inquire 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.)
- 10 Shall 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?
- 12 While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed.
- 13 So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,
- 14 whose confidence will break apart, whose trust is a spider’s web.
- 15 He will lean on his house, but it will not stand. He will cling to it, but it will not endure.
- 16 He is green before the sun. His shoots go out along his garden.
- 17 His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.
- 18 If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
- 19 Behold, 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.
- 21 He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.
- 22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked will be no more.”