¹Så tog Job til Orde og svarede:

¹And Job answereth and saith: —

²"Også i Dag er der Trods i min Klage, tungt ligger hans Hånd på mit Suk!

²Also — to-day [is] my complaint bitter, My hand hath been heavy because of my sighing.

³Ak, vidste jeg Vej til at finde ham, kunde jeg nå hans Trone!

³O that I had known — and I find Him, I come in unto His seat,

⁴Da vilde jeg udrede Sagen for ham og fylde min Mund med Beviser,

⁴I arrange before Him the cause, And my mouth fill [with] arguments.

⁵vide, hvad Svar han gav mig, skønne, hvad han sagde til mig!

⁵I know the words He doth answer me, And understand what He saith to me.

⁶Mon han da satte sin Almagt imod mig? Nej, visselig agted han på mig;

⁶In the abundance of power doth He strive with me? No! surely He putteth [it] in me.

⁷da gik en oprigtig i Rette med ham, og jeg bjærged for evigt min Ret.

⁷There the upright doth reason with Him, And I escape for ever from my judge.

⁸Men går jeg mod Øst, da er han der ikke, mod Vest, jeg mærker ej til ham;

⁸Lo, forward I go — and He is not, And backward — and I perceive him not.

⁹jeg søger i Nord og ser ham ikke, drejer mod Syd og øjner ham ej.

⁹[To] the left in His working — and I see not, He is covered [on] the right, and I behold not.

¹⁰Thi han kender min Vej og min Vandel, som Guld går jeg frem af hans Prøve.

¹⁰For He hath known the way with me, He hath tried me — as gold I go forth.

¹¹Min Fod har holdt fast ved hans Spor, hans Vej har jeg fulgt, veg ikke derfra,

¹¹On His step hath my foot laid hold, His way I have kept, and turn not aside,

¹²fra hans Læbers Bud er jeg ikke veget, hans Ord har jeg gemt i mit Bryst.

¹²The command of His lips, and I depart not. Above my allotted portion I have laid up The sayings of His mouth.

¹³Men han gjorde sit Valg, hvem hindrer ham Han udfører, hvad hans Sjæl attrår.

¹³And He [is] in one [mind], And who doth turn Him back? And His soul hath desired — and He doth [it].

¹⁴Thi han fuldbyrder, hvad han bestemte, og af sligt har han meget for.

¹⁴For He doth complete my portion, And many such things [are] with Him.

¹⁵Derfor forfærdes jeg for ham og gruer ved Tanken om ham.

¹⁵Therefore, from His presence I am troubled, I consider, and am afraid of Him.

¹⁶Ja, Gud har nedbrudt mit Mod, forfærdet mig har den Almægtige;

¹⁶And God hath made my heart soft, And the Mighty hath troubled me.

¹⁷thi jeg går til i Mørket, mit Åsyn dækkes af Mulm.

¹⁷For I have not been cut off before darkness, And before me He covered thick darkness.