¹[Ny teny voalohany nataon'i Bildada] Dia namaly Bildada Sohita ka nanao hoe:

¹And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: —

²Mandra-pahoviana no hiteny toy izany ianao, ka ho rivotra mahery ny teny aloaky ny vavanao?

²Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind — sayings of thy mouth?

³Andriamanitra va hamadika ny fitsarana, na ny Tsitoha hamadika ny rariny?

³Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

⁴Raha nanota taminy ny zanakao, dia efa nampanodiaviny azy ny fahadisoany.

⁴If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,

⁵Fa raha ianao kosa mandroso mitady an'Andriamanitra ka mifona amin'ny Tsitoha.

⁵If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,

⁶Ary raha madio sy mahitsy ianao, dia hifoha hamonjy anao tokoa Izy ary hampiadana indray ny fonenan'ny fahamarinanao,[Na: hiambina]

⁶If pure and upright thou [art], Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness.

⁷Ka na dia kely aza no niandohanao, dia ho lehibe indrindra no hiafaranao.

⁷And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.

⁸Fa masìna ianao, anontanio ange ny ntaolo, ka fantaro ny hevitra hitan'ny razany

⁸For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,

⁹(Fa vao omaly isika ka tsy mba mahalala, fa aloka ihany ny androntsika etỳ ambonin'ny tany);

⁹(For of yesterday we [are], and we know not, For a shadow [are] our days on earth.)

¹⁰Tsy ireny va no hampianatra anao ka hilaza aminao ary hamoaka teny avy ao am-pony?

¹⁰Do they not shew thee — speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?

¹¹Haniry va ny zozoro, raha tsy eny amin'ny fotaka? Hitrebona va ny harefo, raha tsy misy rano?

¹¹`Doth a rush wise without mire? A reed increase without water?

¹²Mbola maitso izy sady tsy voajinja, kanefa malazo alohan'ny zava-maitso rehetra.

¹²While it [is] in its budding — uncropt, Even before any herb it withereth.

¹³Toy izany no lalan'izay rehetra manadino an'Andriamanitra; Ary ho very ny fanantenan'ny mpihatsaravelatsihy,[Na: ratsy fanahy]

¹³So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane doth perish,

¹⁴Fa ho maito ny fanantenany, eny, ho tranon-kala ny tokiny.

¹⁴Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.

¹⁵Miankina amin'ny tranony izy, kanjo tsy maharitra iny; Mihazona azy mafy izy, kanjo tsy mahazaka azy iny.

¹⁵He leaneth on his house — and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it — and it abideth not.

¹⁶Mitsimoka tsara tandrifin'ny masoandro izy, ary ny rantsany misandrahaka eo amin'ny tanimboliny;

¹⁶Green he [is] before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.

¹⁷Mifelipelika mifaniditra eo amin'ny korontam-bato ny fakany ary mahazo any anelanelany;

¹⁷By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.

¹⁸Kanjo nony fongorany hiala amin'ny fitoerany izy, dia handà azy izany ka hanao hoe: Tsy mbola nahita anao akory aho.

¹⁸If [one] doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!

¹⁹Indro, izany ihany no fifalian'ny lalan-kalehany; ary hisy hafa indray mitrebona avy amin'ny vovoka.

¹⁹Lo, this [is] the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.`

²⁰Indro, Andriamanitra tsy hanary ny olona tsy manan-tsiny ary tsy hitantana ny mpanao ratsy;

²⁰Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.

²¹Mbola hofenoiny hehy ny vavanao sy hoby ny molotrao.Izay mankahala anao hitafy henatra; Ary tsy hisy intsony ny lain'ny ratsy fanahy.

²¹While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting,

²²Izay mankahala anao hitafy henatra; Ary tsy hisy intsony ny lain'ny ratsy fanahy.

²²Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!