וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשֻּׁחִי וַיֹּאמַר׃

Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

עַד־אָנָה תְּשִׂימוּן קִנְצֵי לְמִלִּין תָּבִינוּ וְאַחַר נְדַבֵּר

When will you, Job, put an end to the words? When will you stop talking? Whenever you appear to be ready to conclude speaking, you begin a new topic. First you should contemplate, and afterward we will speak. It should be noted that Bildad speaks here to Job in the second person plural, a somewhat indirect form of address.

מַדּוּעַ נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ כַבְּהֵמָה נִטְמִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיכֶם

Why have we been considered like a beast, obtuse in your eyes? Why do you consider us bereft of understanding and insight?

טֹרֵף נַפְשׁוֹ בְּאַפּוֹ הַלְמַעַנְךָ תֵּעָזַב אָרֶץ וְיֶעְתַּק צוּר מִמְּקֹמוֹ

You are one who mauls and harms himself in his wrath; will the earth be forsaken for you and the rock removed from its place? Do you expect the natural laws of the world to be overturned for your sake? Others interpret this as a reference to God, who is referred to in the Bible as a rock. If so, the final phrase in the verse reads: Do you expect God to alter His normal ways for you?

גַּם אוֹר רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְלֹא־יִגַּהּ שְׁבִיב אִשּׁוֹ

Rather, the light of the wicked will dim, and the spark of his fire will not glow.

אוֹר חָשַׁךְ בְּאָהֳלוֹ וְנֵרוֹ עָלָיו יִדְעָךְ

The light will have darkened in his tent, and his lamp will dim over him.

יֵצְרוּ צַעֲדֵי אוֹנוֹ וְתַשְׁלִיכֵהוּ עֲצָתוֹ

The strides of his strength will be shortened. His steps shall become short, like those of a weak person, and his own counsel will cast him down, cause his downfall,

כִּי־שֻׁלַּח בְּרֶשֶׁת בְּרַגְלָיו וְעַל־שְׂבָכָה יִתְהַלָּךְ

for he is caught in a net by his feet, and he walks on a snag, a tangle of branches placed over a trap.

יֹאחֵז בְּעָקֵב פָּח יַחֲזֵק עָלָיו צַמִּים

A snare will seize a heel; its strings will tighten upon him. The knots of the snare will tighten around him.

טָמוּן בָּאָרֶץ חַבְלוֹ וּמַלְכֻּדְתּוֹ עֲלֵי נָתִיב

His rope to ensnare him is hidden in the ground, and his trap is prepared on the path.

סָבִיב בִּעֲתֻהוּ בַלָּהוֹת וֶהֱפִיצֻהוּ לְרַגְלָיו

Terrors, or demons, will frighten him on all sides and scatter his feet. In his terror, his limbs will be scattered, so to speak, and rendered useless, and he will fall.

יְהִי־רָעֵב אֹנוֹ וְאֵיד נָכוֹן לְצַלְעוֹ

His progeny will be hungry, and calamity is set by his side.

יֹאכַל בַּדֵּי עוֹרוֹ יֹאכַל בַּדָּיו בְּכוֹר מָוֶת

It will consume the branches, pieces, of his skin; death’s firstborn, the angel of death, will consume his branches, will devour his children.

יִנָּתֵק מֵאָהֳלוֹ מִבְטַחוֹ וְתַצְעִדֵהוּ לְמֶלֶךְ בַּלָּהוֹת

Its support will be severed from his tent. That which provides stability for the tent, possibly the peg that holds it in place, will be removed. This is possibly an allusion to his wife. And it will march him to the king of terrors, the king of demons.

תִּשְׁכּוֹן בְּאָהֳלוֹ מִבְּלִי־לוֹ יְזֹרֶה עַל־נָוֵהוּ גָפְרִית

She, his wife, who has become a widow, will dwell in his tent without him; sulfur, which destroys everything, will be scattered and will rain on his abode.

מִתַּחַת שָׁרָשָׁיו יִבָשׁוּ וּמִמַּעַל יִמַּל קְצִירוֹ

Below, his roots will dry, and above, his harvest will wither.

זִכְרוֹ־אָבַד מִנִּי־אָרֶץ וְלֹא־שֵׁם לוֹ עַל־פְּנֵי־חוּץ

His memory will perish from the earth, and there will be no name for him in the street.

יֶהְדְּפֻהוּ מֵאוֹר אֶל־חֹשֶׁךְ וּמִתֵּבֵל יְנִדֻּהוּ

He will be driven from light to darkness, and he will be banished from the world.

לֹא נִין לוֹ וְלֹא־נֶכֶד בְּעַמּוֹ וְאֵין שָׂרִיד בִּמְגוּרָיו

He will have neither son nor grandson among his people, and there will be no remnant in his dwellings.

עַל־יוֹמוֹ נָשַׁמּוּ אַחֲרֹנִים וְקַדְמֹנִים אָחֲזוּ שָׂעַר

The recent, later generations, are astonished at his day, when they contemplate his fate, and the ancient, earlier generations, are seized with agitation [sa’ar], shaking in fear as though confronted with stormy [se’ara] winds.

אַךְ־אֵלֶּה מִשְׁכְּנוֹת עַוָּל וְזֶה מְקוֹם לֹא־יָדַע־אֵל

Bildad concludes his appraisal of the lot of the wicked: But these are the events that shall befall the habitations of the wicked, and this is the place of residence of one who does not know God.