New Century Version NCV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
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Bildad the Shuchi spoke next:
2 "How long will you say such things? Your words are no more than wind.
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"How long will you go on talking like this? What you are saying is raging wind!
3 God does not twist justice; the Almighty does not make wrong what is right.
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Does God distort judgment? Does Shaddai pervert justice?
4 Your children sinned against God, and he punished them for their sins.
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If your children sinned against him, he left them to be victims of their own offense.
5 But you should ask God for help and pray to the Almighty for mercy.
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"If you will earnestly seek God and plead for Shaddai's favor,
6 If you are good and honest, he will stand up for you and bring you back where you belong.
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if you are pure and upright; then he will rouse himself for you and fulfill your needs.
7 Where you began will seem unimportant, because your future will be so successful.
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Then, although your beginnings were small, your future will be very great indeed.
8 "Ask old people; find out what their ancestors learned,
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"Ask the older generation, and consider what their ancestors found out;
9 because we were only born yesterday and know nothing. Our days on earth are only a shadow.
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for we who were born yesterday know nothing, our days on earth are but a shadow.
10 Those people will teach you and tell you and speak about what they know.
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They will teach you, they will tell you, they will say what is in their hearts:
11 Papyrus plants cannot grow where there is no swamp, and reeds cannot grow tall without water.
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'Can papyrus grow except in a marsh? Can swamp grass flourish without water?
12 While they are still growing and not yet cut, they will dry up quicker than grass.
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While still green, before being cut down, it dries up faster than any other plant.
13 That is what will happen to those who forget God; the hope of the wicked will be gone.
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Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of a hypocrite will perish -
14 What they hope in is easily broken; what they trust is like a spider's web.
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his confidence is mere gossamer, his trust a spider's web.
15 They lean on the spider's web, but it breaks. They grab it, but it does not hold up.
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He can lean on his house, but it won't stand; he can hold on to it, but it won't last;
16 They are like well-watered plants in the sunshine that spread their roots all through the garden.
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[for its destruction will come] like the lush growth of a plant in the sun, its shoots may spread out all over its garden,
17 They wrap their roots around a pile of rocks and look for a place among the stones.
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but meanwhile its roots cause the stone house to collapse, as it seizes hold of the rocks;
18 But if a plant is torn from its place, then that place rejects it and says, 'I never saw you.'
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someone who tears it away from its place denies he has ever seen it.
19 Now joy has gone away; other plants grow up from the same dirt.
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Yes, this is the "joy" of the way [of the godless], and out of the dust will spring up others [like him].'
20 "Surely God does not reject the innocent or give strength to those who do evil.
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"Look, God will not reject a blameless man; nor will he uphold wrongdoers.
21 God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
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He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Your enemies will be covered with shame, and the tents of the wicked will be gone."
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Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will cease to exist."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.