Dual Panel1Bildad from Shuhah was next to speak:
2"How can you keep on talking like this? You're talking nonsense, and noisy nonsense at that.
3Does God mess up? Does God Almighty ever get things backwards?
4It's plain that your children sinned against him--otherwise, why would God have punished them?
5Here's what you must do--and don't put it off any longer: Get down on your knees before God Almighty.
6If you're as innocent and upright as you say, it's not too late--he'll come running; he'll set everything right again, reestablish your fortunes.
7Even though you're not much right now, you'll end up better than ever.
8"Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors.
9For we're newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it.
10So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what's what, instruct you in what they knew from experience?
11Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water?
12Blossoming flowers look great before they're cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass.
13That's what happens to all who forget God--all their hopes come to nothing.
14They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web.
15One jiggle and the thread breaks, one jab and the web collapses.
16Or they're like weeds springing up in the sunshine, invading the garden,
17Spreading everywhere, overtaking the flowers, getting a foothold even in the rocks.
18But when the gardener rips them out by the roots, the garden doesn't miss them one bit.
19The sooner the godless are gone, the better; then good plants can grow in their place.
20"There's no way that God will reject a good person, and there is no way he'll help a bad one.
21God will let you laugh again; you'll raise the roof with shouts of joy,
22With your enemies thoroughly discredited, their house of cards collapsed."