¹Råb kun! Giver nogen dig Svar? Og til hvem af de Hellige vender du dig?

¹Pray, call, is there any to answer thee? And unto which of the holy ones dost thou turn?

²Thi Dårens Harme koster ham Livet, Tåbens Vrede bliver hans Død.

²For provocation slayeth the perverse, And envy putteth to death the simple,

³Selv har jeg set en Dåre rykkes op, hans Bolig rådne brat;

³I — I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straightway,

⁴hans Sønner var uden Hjælp, trådtes ned i Porten, ingen reddede dem;

⁴Far are his sons from safety, And they are bruised in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

⁵sultne åd deres Høst, de tog den, selv mellem Torne, og tørstige drak deres Mælk.

⁵Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.

⁶Thi Vanheld vokser ej op af Støvet, Kvide spirer ej frem af Jorden,

⁶For sorrow cometh not forth from the dust, Nor from the ground springeth up misery.

⁷men Mennesket avler Kvide, og Gnisterne flyver til Vejrs.

⁷For man to misery is born, And the sparks go high to fly.

⁸Nej, jeg vilde søge til Gud og lægge min Sag for ham,

⁸Yet I — I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,

⁹som øver ufattelig Vælde og Undere uden Tal,

⁹Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering.

¹⁰som giver Regn på Jorden og nedsender Vand over Marken

¹⁰Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.

¹¹for at løfte de bøjede højt, så de sørgende opnår Frelse,

¹¹To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high [in] safety.

¹²han, som krydser de kloges Tanker, så de ikke virker noget, der varer,

¹²Making void thoughts of the subtile, And their hands do not execute wisdom.

¹³som fanger de vise i deres Kløgt, så de listiges Råd er forhastet;

¹³Capturing the wise in their subtilty, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hastened,

¹⁴i Mørke raver de, selv om Dagen, famler ved Middag, som var det Nat.

¹⁴By day they meet darkness, And as night — they grope at noon.

¹⁵Men han frelser den arme fra Sværdet og fattig af stærkes Hånd,

¹⁵And He saveth the wasted from their mouth, And from a strong hand the needy,

¹⁶så der bliver Håb for den ringe og Ondskaben lukker sin Mund.

¹⁶And there is hope to the poor, And perverseness hath shut her mouth.

¹⁷Held den Mand, som revses at Gud; ringeagt ej den Almægtiges Tugt!

¹⁷Lo, the happiness of mortal man, God doth reprove him: And the chastisement of the Mighty despise not,

¹⁸Thi han sårer, og han forbinder, han slår, og hans Hænder læger.

¹⁸For He doth pain, and He bindeth up, He smiteth, and His hands heal.

¹⁹Seks Gange redder han dig i Trængsel, syv går Ulykken uden om dig;

¹⁹In six distresses He delivereth thee, And in seven evil striketh not on thee.

²⁰han frier dig fra Døden i Hungersnød, i Krig fra Sværdets Vold;

²⁰In famine He hath redeemed thee from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.

²¹du er gemt for Tungens Svøbe, har intet at frygte, når Voldsdåd kommer;

²¹When the tongue scourgeth thou art hid, And thou art not afraid of destruction, When it cometh.

²²du ler ad Voldsdåd og Hungersnød og frygter ej Jordens vilde dyr;

²²At destruction and at hunger thou mockest, And of the beast of the earth, Thou art not afraid.

²³du har Pagt med Markens Sten, har Fred med Markens Vilddyr;

²³(For with sons of the field [is] thy covenant, And the beast of the field Hath been at peace with thee.)

²⁴du kender at have dit Telt i Fred, du mønstrer din Bolig, og intet fattes;

²⁴And thou hast known that thy tent [is] peace, And inspected thy habitation, and errest not,

²⁵du kender at have et talrigt Afkom, som Jordens Urter er dine Spirer;

²⁵And hast known that numerous [is] Thy seed, And thine offspring as the herb of the earth;

²⁶Graven når du i Ungdomskraft, som Neg føres op, når Tid er inde.

²⁶Thou comest in full age unto the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.

²⁷Se, det har vi gransket, således er det; det har vi hørt, så vid også du det!

²⁷Lo, this — we searched it out — it [is] right, hearken; And thou, know for thyself!