Daily Bible Reading

Bildad Speaks: God Punishes the Wicked

1Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

2“How long will you hunt for words?

Consider, and then we will speak.

3Why are we counted as cattle?

Why are we stupid in your sight?

4You who tear yourself in your anger,

shall the earth be forsaken for you,

or the rock be removed out of its place?

5“Indeed, the light of the wicked is put out,

and the flame of his fire does not shine.

6The light is dark in his tent,

and his lamp above him is put out.

7His strong steps are shortened,

and his own schemes throw him down.

8For he is cast into a net by his own feet,

and he walks on its mesh.

9A trap seizes him by the heel;

a snare lays hold of him.

10A rope is hidden for him in the ground,

a trap for him in the path.

11Terrors frighten him on every side,

and chase him at his heels.

12His strength is famished,

and calamity is ready for his stumbling.

13It consumes the parts of his skin;

the firstborn of death consumes his limbs.

14He is torn from the tent in which he trusted

and is brought to the king of terrors.

15In his tent dwells that which is none of his;

sulfur is scattered over his habitation.

16His roots dry up beneath,

and his branches wither above.

17His memory perishes from the earth,

and he has no name in the street.

18He is thrust from light into darkness,

and driven out of the world.

19He has no posterity or progeny among his people,

and no survivor where he used to live.

20They of the west are appalled at his day,

and horror seizes them of the east.

21Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous,

such is the place of him who knows not God.”

Bildad

1Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

2“When will you end these speeches?

Be sensible, and then we can talk.

3Why are we regarded as cattle

and considered stupid in your sight?

4You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger,

is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?

Or must the rocks be moved from their place?

5“The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;

the flame of his fire stops burning.

6The light in his tent becomes dark;

the lamp beside him goes out.

7The vigor of his step is weakened;

his own schemes throw him down.

8His feet thrust him into a net;

he wanders into its mesh.

9A trap seizes him by the heel;

a snare holds him fast.

10A noose is hidden for him on the ground;

a trap lies in his path.

11Terrors startle him on every side

and dog his every step.

12Calamity is hungry for him;

disaster is ready for him when he falls.

13It eats away parts of his skin;

death’s firstborn devours his limbs.

14He is torn from the security of his tent

and marched off to the king of terrors.

15Fire resides in his tent;

burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling.

16His roots dry up below

and his branches wither above.

17The memory of him perishes from the earth;

he has no name in the land.

18He is driven from light into the realm of darkness

and is banished from the world.

19He has no offspring or descendants among his people,

no survivor where once he lived.

20People of the west are appalled at his fate;

those of the east are seized with horror.

21Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man;

such is the place of one who does not know God.”