8Bildad from Shuhah was next to speak:H6030H1085H7747H5592"How can you keep on talking like this? You're talking nonsense, and noisy nonsense at that.H575H5704H4448H561H6310H3524H73073Does God mess up? Does God Almighty ever get things backwards?H410H5791H4941H7706H5791H66644It's plain that your children sinned against him— otherwise, why would God have punished them?H1121H2398H7971H3027H65885Here's what you must do—and don't put it off any longer: Get down on your knees before God Almighty.H7836H410H7836H2603H77066If 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.H2134H3477H5782H5116H6664H79997Even though you're not much right now, you'll end up better than ever.H7225H4705H319H3966H7685
To Hang Your Life from One Thin Thread
8"Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors.H7592H7223H7223H1755H3559H2714H19For we're newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it.H8543H3045H3117H776H673810So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what's what, instruct you in what they knew from experience?H3384H559H3318H4405H382011Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water?H1573H1342H1207H7685H260H7685H1097H432512Blossoming flowers look great before they're cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass.H3H6998H3001H6440H268213That's what happens to all who forget God— all their hopes come to nothing.H734H7911H410H2611H8615H614They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web.H3689H6990H4009H5908H100415One jiggle and the thread breaks, one jab and the web collapses.H8172H1004H5975H2388H696516Or they're like weeds springing up in the sunshine, invading the garden,H7373H6440H8121H3127H3318H159317Spreading everywhere, overtaking the flowers, getting a foothold even in the rocks.H8328H5440H1530H2372H1004H6818But when the gardener rips them out by the roots, the garden doesn't miss them one bit.H1104H4725H3584H720019The sooner the godless are gone, the better; then good plants can grow in their place.H4885H1870H6083H312H677920"There's no way that God will reject a good person, and there is no way he'll help a bad one.H410H3988H8535H2388H3027H748921God will let you laugh again; you'll raise the roof with shouts of joy,H4390H6310H7814H8193H864322With your enemies thoroughly discredited, their house of cards collapsed."H8130H3847H1322H168H7563H369