¹Så tog Temaniten Elifaz til Orde og sagde:

¹And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —

²"Mon Vismand svarer med Mundsvejr og fylder sit Indre med Østenvind

²Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?

³for at hævde sin Ret med gavnløs Tale, med Ord, som intet båder?

³To reason with a word not useful? And speeches — no profit in them?

⁴Desuden nedbryder du Gudsfrygt og krænker den Stilhed, som tilkommer Gud.

⁴Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.

⁵Din Skyld oplærer din Mund, du vælger de listiges Sprog.

⁵For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.

⁶Din Mund domfælder dig, ikke jeg, dine Læber vidner imod dig!

⁶Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.

⁷Var du den første, der fødtes, kom du til Verden, før Højene var?

⁷The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?

⁸Mon du lytted til, da Gud holdt Råd, og mon du rev Visdommen til dig?

⁸Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?

⁹Hvad ved du, som vi ikke ved, hvad forstår du, som vi ikke kender?

⁹What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — and it is not with us?

¹⁰Også vi har en gammel iblandt os, en Olding, hvis Dage er fler end din Faders!

¹⁰Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us — Greater than thy father [in] days.

¹¹Er Guds Trøst dig for lidt, det Ord, han mildelig talede til dig?

¹¹Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,

¹²Hvi river dit Hjerte dig hen, hvi ruller dit Øje vildt?

¹²What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?

¹³Thi du vender din Harme mod Gud og udstøder Ord af din Mund.

¹³For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:

¹⁴Hvor kan et Menneske være rent, en kvindefødt have Ret?

¹⁴What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?

¹⁵End ikke sine Hellige tror han, og Himlen er ikke ren i hans Øjne,

¹⁵Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.

¹⁶hvad da den stygge, den onde, Manden, der drikker Uret som Vand!

¹⁶Also — surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.

¹⁷Jeg vil sige dig noget, hør mig, jeg fortæller, hvad jeg har set,

¹⁷I shew thee — hearken to me — And this I have seen and declare:

¹⁸hvad vise Mænd har forkyndt, deres Fædre ikke dulgt,

¹⁸Which the wise declare — And have not hid — from their fathers.

¹⁹dem alene var Landet givet, ingen fremmed færdedes blandt dem:

¹⁹To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:

²⁰Den gudløse ængstes hele sit Liv, de stakkede År, en Voldsmand lever;

²⁰`All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.

²¹Rædselslyde fylder hans Ører, midt under Fred er Hærgeren over ham;

²¹A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.

²²han undkommer ikke fra Mørket, opsparet er han for Sværdet,

²²He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.

²³udset til Føde for Gribbe, han ved, at han står for Fald;

²³He is wandering for bread — `Where [is] it?` He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.

²⁴Mørkets Dag vil skræmme ham. Trængsel og Angst overvælde ham som en Konge, rustet til Strid.

²⁴Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.

²⁵Thi Hånden rakte han ud mod Gud og bød den Almægtige Trods,

²⁵For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.

²⁶stormed bårdnakket mod ham med sine tykke, buede Skjolde.

²⁶He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.

²⁷Thi han dækked sit Ansigt med Fedt og samlede Huld på sin Lænd.

²⁷For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.

²⁸tog Bolig i Byer, der øde lå hen. i Huse, man ikke må bo i, bestemt til at ligge i Grus.

²⁸And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.

²⁹Han bliver ej rig, hans Velstand forgår, til Jorden bøjer sig ikke hans Aks;

²⁹He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.

³⁰han undkommer ikke fra Mørket. Solglød udtørrer hans Spire, hans Blomst rives bort af Vinden.

³⁰He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!

³¹Han stole ikke på Tomhed han farer vild thi Tomhed skal være hans Løn!

³¹Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.

³²I Utide visner hans Stamme, hans Palmegren skal ikke grønnes;

³²Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.

³³han ryster som Ranken sin brue af og kaster som Olietræet sin Blomst.

³³He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.

³⁴Thi vanhelliges Samfund er goldt, og Ild fortærer Bestikkelsens Telte;

³⁴For the company of the profane [is] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.

³⁵svangre med Kvide, føder de Uret, og deres Moderskød fostrer Svig!

³⁵To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.