Job 8:11-18
Job 8:8-19 The Message (MSG)
“Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors. For we’re newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it. So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what’s what, instruct you in what they knew from experience? Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water? Blossoming flowers look beautiful before they’re cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass. That’s what happens to all who forget God— all their hopes come to nothing. They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web. One jiggle and the thread breaks, one jab and the web collapses. Or they’re like weeds springing up in the sunshine, invading the garden, Spreading everywhere, overtaking the flowers, getting a foothold even in the rocks. But when the gardener rips them out by the roots, the garden doesn’t miss them one bit. The sooner the godless are gone, the better; then good plants can grow in their place.
Job 8:11-18 King James Version (KJV)
Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, It withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hypocrite's hope shall perish: Whose hope shall be cut off, And whose trust shall be a spider's web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: He shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. He is green before the sun, And his branch shooteth forth in his garden. His roots are wrapped about the heap, And seeth the place of stones. If he destroy him from his place, Then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
Job 8:11-18 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? While it is still green and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish, Whose confidence is fragile, And whose trust a spider’s web. He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; He holds fast to it, but it does not endure. He thrives before the sun, And his shoots spread out over his garden. His roots wrap around a rock pile, He grasps a house of stones. If he is removed from his place, Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
Job 8:11-18 New Century Version (NCV)
Papyrus plants cannot grow where there is no swamp, and reeds cannot grow tall without water. While they are still growing and not yet cut, they will dry up quicker than grass. That is what will happen to those who forget God; the hope of the wicked will be gone. What they hope in is easily broken; what they trust is like a spider’s web. They lean on the spider’s web, but it breaks. They grab it, but it does not hold up. They are like well-watered plants in the sunshine that spread their roots all through the garden. They wrap their roots around a pile of rocks and look for a place among the stones. But if a plant is torn from its place, then that place rejects it and says, ‘I never saw you.’
Job 8:11-18 American Standard Version (ASV)
Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, It withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish: Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider’s web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure. He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden. His roots are wrapped about the stone-heap, He beholdeth the place of stones. If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
Job 8:11-18 New International Version (NIV)
Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass. Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What they trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider’s web. They lean on the web, but it gives way; they cling to it, but it does not hold. They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden; it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks and looks for a place among the stones. But when it is torn from its spot, that place disowns it and says, ‘I never saw you.’
Job 8:11-18 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? While it is yet green and not cut down, It withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, Whose confidence shall be cut off, And whose trust is a spider’s web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure. He grows green in the sun, And his branches spread out in his garden. His roots wrap around the rock heap, And look for a place in the stones. If he is destroyed from his place, Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
Job 8:11-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
¶“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes or reed grass grow without water? “While it is still green (in flower) and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other plant [when without water]. “So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish, For his confidence is fragile and breaks, And his trust is [like] a spider’s web. “He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; He holds tightly to it, but it does not endure. “He thrives and prospers [like a green plant] before the sun, And his branches spread out over his garden. “His [godless] roots are wrapped around a pile of rocks, And he gazes at a house of stones. “If he is snatched from his place [in the garden], Then his place will forget him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
Job 8:11-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
“Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh? Can marsh grass flourish without water? While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut, they begin to wither more quickly than grass. The same happens to all who forget God. The hopes of the godless evaporate. Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure. The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden. Its roots grow down through a pile of stones; it takes hold on a bed of rocks. But when it is uprooted, it’s as though it never existed!
Job 8:11-18 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
“Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water? While yet in flower and not cut down, they wither before any other plant. Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish. His confidence is severed, and his trust is a spider’s web. He leans against his house, but it does not stand; he lays hold of it, but it does not endure. He is a lush plant before the sun, and his shoots spread over his garden. His roots entwine the stone heap; he looks upon a house of stones. If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’