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.”
Bildad
1-2 Are you finally through with your windy speech?
3 God never twists justice;
he never fails to do what is right.
4 Your children must have sinned against God,
and so he punished them as they deserved.
5 But turn now and plead with Almighty God;
6 if you are so honest and pure,
then God will come and help you
and restore your household as your reward.
7 All the wealth you lost will be nothing
compared with what God will give you then.
8 Look for a moment at ancient wisdom;
consider the truths our ancestors learned.
9 Our life is short, we know nothing at all;
we pass like shadows across the earth.
10 But let the ancient wise people teach you;
listen to what they had to say:
11 “Reeds can't grow where there is no water;
they are never found outside a swamp.
12 If the water dries up, they are the first to wither,
while still too small to be cut and used.
13 Godless people are like those reeds;
their hope is gone, once God is forgotten.
14 They trust a thread—a spider's web.
15 If they lean on a web, will it hold them up?
If they grab for a thread, will it help them stand?”
16 Evil people sprout like weeds in the sun,
like weeds that spread all through the garden.
17 Their roots wrap around the stones
and hold fast to every rock.
18 But then pull them up—
no one will ever know they were there.
19 Yes, that's all the joy evil people have;
others now come and take their places.
20 But God will never abandon the faithful
or ever give help to evil people.
21 He will let you laugh and shout again,
22 but he will bring disgrace on those who hate you,
and the homes of the wicked will vanish.
