Bildad's First Speech
How Long Will You Talk?
1 Bildad from Shuah said:
2 How long will you talk
and keep saying nothing?
3 Does God All-Powerful
stand in the way of justice?
4 He made your children pay
for their sins.
5 So why don't you turn to him
6 and start living right?
Then he will decide
to rescue and restore you
to your place of honor.
7 Your future will be brighter
by far than your past.
Our Ancestors Were Wise
8 Our ancestors were wise,
so learn from them.
9 Our own time has been short,
like a fading shadow,
and we know very little.
10 But they will instruct you
with great understanding.
11 Papyrus reeds grow healthy
only in a swamp,
12 and if the water dries up,
they die sooner than grass.
13 Such is the hopeless future
of all who turn from God
14 and trust in something as frail
as a spider's web—
15 they take hold and fall
because it's so flimsy.
16 Sinful people are like plants
with spreading roots and plenty
of sun and water.
17 They wrap their roots tightly
around rocks.
18 But once they are pulled up,
they have no more place;
19 their life slips away,
and other plants grow there.
20 We know God doesn't reject
an innocent person
or help a sinner.
21 And so, he will make you happy
and give you something
to smile about.
22 But your evil enemies
will be put to shame
and disappear forever.
1 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Bildadi Suaǁîba ge mî:
2 “Mâǁae-i kōsets kha nē xūna nî mî?
Sa amsa xu ra ǂoaxa mîdi ge ǀgaisa ǂoab khami ǀgui ī.
3 Eloba ǂhanu-aisiba dabaǃkhunib nî?
Tamas ka iob Hoaǀgaixaba ǂhanu xū-e nî dabaǃkhuni?
4 Sa ôan ga ǁîb ǃoagu ǁore hâ,
ob ge ga ǁîna ǁîn ǁoren di ǁkharab ǃnâ māǁnâ hâ.
5 Xawets ga Elob di aisa ôa
tsî Hoaǀgaixab di ǀkhomma ôabasen,
6 tsîts ga ǃanu tsî ǂhauǃnâ;
ob ge ǁîba nēsis tsîna khâiba tsi
tsî ǁkhawa sa ǂhanu ǃkhaisa nî mā-oa tsi.
7 Sa tsoatsoas ge ǂkhari i,
xaweb ge sa ǃgoaxaǁaeba kaise nî ǀkhaexaǃnâ.
8 “ǃKharu ge ôananôagugu ai dîǃgâ,
î ǁîgu di aboxagu hōǃâdi ai ǃgaoǃgâ.
9 Sada ge ǁaris ǀgôada tsî da xū-i xare-e a ǀū,
ǃhūbaib di ûitsēdi âda sommi khami ī xui-ao.
10 ǁÎga kha ǁgauǃnâ tsî mîba du tide
tsî ǁnâuǃāxa mîdi ǃnâ ǃgāǃgāba du tide:
11 “ǂĀ-e kha ǂgoab ǀkhaipa ǀomkhâi ǁkhā-e
tsî ǁgam-i ǀkhaiba ǁî-e ǀomkhâi ǁkhā-e?
12 ǁHaretsoatsoa i ka tsî ǃgaos ǃaroma ǂhomisa tama i,
o i ge ǁî-e nau ǀgân ǃgâ-ai kaise ǃhaese ra ǂnâbē.
13 ǁNāti i ge Eloba ra ǀuru khoe-i ǀkha ra hā;
eloxoresa khoe-i ge ǃâubasen-i xare-e ūhâ tama hâ.
14 ǁÎ-i ge ǀnûiǃkhammi ai ǂgomǃgâ,
tsî ǀnûi-oms ai ra ǂgomaiǂnûi.
15 ǁÎs aits ga ǃgâsen, os ge ra ǀgaru
tsî ǁîs aits ga ǁgâibasen, xawes ra ǀgaruǃari.
16 “ǁÎ-i ge sores ǃnâ ǃgâise ra ǀomkhâi,
tsî gu ge ǁnâugu â-e hoaraga ǃhanaba ra īǂam.
17 ǁÎ-i ǃnomagu ge ǀuidi ai namisen
tsî mâti i nî ǃgareǀuigu ai ǃkhōbasen ǀgauba ra ôa.
18 Xawe ǃnomagu ǀkha i ga ǃhomǂuihe,
o i ge xū-i xare-e ǁî-i xa ǃgau tide.
19 ǁNā ǀgaus ais ge ǁî-i ûib ra kābēsa
tsîn ǁîn ǃkhais ai ǀnîna ra ǂoaxasa.
20 “Amase, Elob ge ǂhauǃnâ khoe-e ǂhara tama hâ,
tamas ka iob ge ǂkhabadī-ao-e hui tama hâ.
21 ǁÎb ge sa amsa âib ǀkha nî ǀoaǀoa
tsî sa amǁgaukha ǃgâiaǂgaob ǀkha.
22 Sa ǁkhanaon ge taob ǀkha nî ǃgū-aihe
tsî eloxoresan di tentoms ge nî bē.”
