(א) וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹאמַר. (ב) עַד אָן תְּמַלֶּל אֵלֶּה וְרוּחַ כַּבִּיר אִמְרֵי פִיךָ. (ג) הַאֵל יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּט וְאִם שַׁדַּי יְעַוֵּת צֶדֶק. (ד) אִם בָּנֶיךָ חָטְאוּ לוֹ וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם בְּיַד פִּשְׁעָם. (ה) אִם אַתָּה תְּשַׁחֵר אֶל אֵל וְאֶל שַׁדַּי תִּתְחַנָּן. (ו) אִם זַךְ וְיָשָׁר אָתָּה כִּי עַתָּה יָעִיר עָלֶיךָ וְשִׁלַּם נְוַת צִדְקֶךָ. (ז) וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹד. (ח) כִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְדֹר רִישׁוֹן וְכוֹנֵן לְחֵקֶר אֲבוֹתָם. (ט) כִּי תְמוֹל אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי אָרֶץ. (י) הֲלֹא הֵם יוֹרוּךָ יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ וּמִלִּבָּם יוֹצִאוּ מִלִּים.
(1) Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said: (2) How long wilt thou speak these things, Seeing that the words of thy mouth are as a mighty wind? (3) Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice? (4) If thy children sinned against Him, He delivered them into the hand of their transgression. (5) If thou wouldest seek earnestly unto God, 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) And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy end should greatly increase. (8) For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out— (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?
(יב) הֵן יַחְתֹּף מִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ מִי יֹאמַר אֵלָיו מַה תַּעֲשֶׂה. (יג) אֱלוֹהַּ לֹא יָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ תחתו [תַּחְתָּיו] שָׁחֲחוּ עֹזְרֵי רָהַב. (יד) אַף כִּי אָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶנּוּ אֶבְחֲרָה דְבָרַי עִמּוֹ. (טו) אֲשֶׁר אִם צָדַקְתִּי לֹא אֶעֱנֶה לִמְשֹׁפְטִי אֶתְחַנָּן. (טז) אִם קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי לֹא אַאֲמִין כִּי יַאֲזִין קוֹלִי. (יז) אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׂעָרָה יְשׁוּפֵנִי וְהִרְבָּה פְצָעַי חִנָּם. (יח) לֹא יִתְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁב רוּחִי כִּי יַשְׂבִּעַנִי מַמְּרֹרִים. (יט) אִם לְכֹחַ אַמִּיץ הִנֵּה וְאִם לְמִשְׁפָּט מִי יוֹעִידֵנִי. (כ) אִם אֶצְדָּק פִּי יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי תָּם אָנִי וַיַּעְקְשֵׁנִי. (כא) תָּם אָנִי לֹא אֵדַע נַפְשִׁי אֶמְאַס חַיָּי. (כב) אַחַת הִיא עַל כֵּן אָמַרְתִּי תָּם וְרָשָׁע הוּא מְכַלֶּה. (כג) אִם שׁוֹט יָמִית פִּתְאֹם לְמַסַּת נְקִיִּם יִלְעָג. (כד) אֶרֶץ נִתְּנָה בְיַד רָשָׁע פְּנֵי שֹׁפְטֶיהָ יְכַסֶּה אִם לֹא אֵפוֹא מִי הוּא.
(12) Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: ‘What doest Thou?’ (13) God will not withdraw His anger; The helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him. (14) How much less shall I answer Him, And choose out my arguments with Him? (15) Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me. (16) If I had called, and He had answered me; Yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice— (17) He that would break me with a tempest, And multiply my wounds without cause; (18) That would not suffer me to take my breath, But fill me with bitterness. (19) If it be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! And if of justice, who will appoint me a time? . (20) Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; Though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse. (21) I am innocent—I regard not myself, I despise my life. (22) It is all one—therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked. (23) If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless. (24) The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If it be not He, who then is it?