1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 2 How long wilt thou speak these things ? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? 3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? 4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; 5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; 6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. 7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: 9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:) 10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart? 11 Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? 12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. 13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish: 14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. 15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. 16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden. 17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones. 18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying , I have not seen thee. 19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man , neither will he help the evil doers: 21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. 22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.
1 Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Βαλδαδ ὁ Σαυχίτης λέγει
2 Μέχρι τίνος λαλήσεις ταῦτα;
πνεῦμα πολυρῆμον τοῦ στόματός σου.
3 μὴ ὁ κύριος ἀδικήσει κρίνων
ἢ ὁ τὰ πάντα ποιήσας ταράξει τὸ δίκαιον;
4 εἰ οἱ υἱοί σου ἥμαρτον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ,
ἀπέστειλεν ἐν χειρὶ ἀνομίας αὐτῶν.
5 σὺ δὲ ὄρθριζε πρὸς κύριον παντοκράτορα δεόμενος.
6 εἰ καθαρὸς εἶ καὶ ἀληθινός, δεήσεως ἐπακούσεταί σου,
ἀποκαταστήσει δέ σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης·
7 ἔσται οὖν τὰ μὲν πρῶτά σου ὀλίγα,
τὰ δὲ ἔσχατά σου ἀμύθητα.
8 ἐπερώτησον γὰρ γενεὰν πρώτην,
ἐξιχνίασον δὲ κατὰ γένος πατέρων·
9 χθιζοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν,
σκιὰ γάρ ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ βίος.
10 ἦ οὐχ οὗτοί σε διδάξουσιν καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσιν
καὶ ἐκ καρδίας ἐξάξουσιν ῥήματα;
11 μὴ θάλλει πάπυρος ἄνευ ὕδατος
ἢ ὑψωθήσεται βούτομον ἄνευ πότου;
12 ἔτι ὂν ἐπὶ ῥίζης καὶ οὐ μὴ θερισθῇ,
πρὸ τοῦ πιεῖν πᾶσα βοτάνη οὐχὶ ξηραίνεται.
13 οὕτως τοίνυν ἔσται τὰ ἔσχατα πάντων τῶν ἐπιλανθανομένων τοῦ κυρίου·
ἐλπὶς γὰρ ἀσεβοῦς ἀπολεῖται.
14 ἀοίκητος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἔσται ὁ οἶκος,
ἀράχνη δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀποβήσεται ἡ σκηνή.
15 ἐὰν ὑπερείσῃ τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ στῇ·
ἐπιλαβομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ὑπομείνῃ·
16 ὑγρὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὑπὸ ἡλίου,
καὶ ἐκ σαπρίας αὐτοῦ ὁ ῥάδαμνος αὐτοῦ ἐξελεύσεται.
17 ἐπὶ συναγωγὴν λίθων κοιμᾶται,
ἐν δὲ μέσῳ χαλίκων ζήσεται.
18 ἐὰν καταπίῃ, ὁ τόπος ψεύσεται αὐτόν·
οὐχ ἑόρακας τοιαῦτα.
19 ὅτι καταστροφὴ ἀσεβοῦς τοιαύτη,
ἐκ δὲ γῆς ἄλλον ἀναβλαστήσει.
20 ὁ γὰρ κύριος οὐ μὴ ἀποποιήσηται τὸν ἄκακον,
πᾶν δὲ δῶρον ἀσεβοῦς οὐ δέξεται.
21 ἀληθινῶν δὲ στόμα ἐμπλήσει γέλωτος,
τὰ δὲ χείλη αὐτῶν ἐξομολογήσεως·
22 οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν ἐνδύσονται αἰσχύνην,
δίαιτα δὲ ἀσεβοῦς οὐκ ἔσται.