¹Så tog Job til Orde og svarede:

¹And Job answereth and saith: —

²"Jeg ved forvist, at således er det, hvad Ret har en dødelig over for Gud?

²Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous with God?

³Vilde Gud gå i Rette med ham, kan han ikke svare på et af tusind!

³If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

⁴Viis af Hjerte og vældig i Kraft hvo trodsede ham og slap vel derfra?

⁴Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

⁵Han flytter Bjerge så let som intet, vælter dem om i sin Vrede,

⁵Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

⁶ryster Jorden ud af dens Fuger, så dens Grundstøtter bæver;

⁶Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

⁷han taler til solen, så skinner den ikke, for Stjernerne sætter han Segl,

⁷Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

⁸han udspænder Himlen ene, skrider hen over Havets Kamme,

⁸Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

⁹han skabte Bjørnen, Orion, Syvstjernen og Sydens Kamre,

⁹Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

¹⁰han øver ufattelig Vælde og Undere uden Tal!

¹⁰Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

¹¹Går han forbi mig, ser jeg ham ikke, farer han hen, jeg mærker ham ikke;

¹¹Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.

¹²røver han, hvem mon der hindrer ham i det? Hvo siger til ham: "Hvad gør du?"

¹²Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, `What dost Thou?`

¹³Gud lægger ikke Bånd på sin Vrede, Rahabs Hjælpere bøjed sig under ham;

¹³God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

¹⁴hvor kan jeg da give ham Svar og rettelig føje min Tale for ham!

¹⁴How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

¹⁵Har jeg end Ret, jeg kan dog ej svare, må bede min Dommer om Nåde!

¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

¹⁶Nævned jeg ham, han svared mig ikke, han hørte, tror jeg, ikke min Røst,

¹⁶Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.

¹⁷han, som river mig bort i Stormen, giver mig - Sår på Sår uden Grund,

¹⁷Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.

¹⁸ikke lader mig drage Ånde, men lader mig mættes med beskeing.

¹⁸He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

¹⁹Gælder det Kæmpekraft, melder han sig! Gælder det Ret, hvo stævner ham da!

¹⁹If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?

²⁰Har jeg end Ret, må min Mund dog fælde mig, er jeg end skyldfri, han gør mig dog vrang!

²⁰If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.

²¹Skyldfri er jeg, ser bort fra min Sjæl og agter mit Liv for intet!

²¹Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.

²²Lige meget; jeg påstår derfor: Skyldfri og skyldig gør han til intet!

²²It is the same thing, therefore I said, `The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.`

²³Når Svøben kommer med Død i et Nu, så spotter han skyldfries Hjertekval;

²³If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.

²⁴Jorden gav han i gudløses Hånd, hylder dens Dommeres Øjne til, hvem ellers, om ikke han?

²⁴Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?

²⁵Raskere end Løberen fløj mine Dage, de svandt og så ikke Lykke,

²⁵My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

²⁶gled hen som Både af Si, som en Ørn, der slår ned på Bytte.

²⁶They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.

²⁷Dersom jeg siger: "Mit Suk vil jeg glemme, glatte mit Ansigt og være glad,"

²⁷Though I say, `I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!`

²⁸må jeg dog grue for al min Smerte, jeg ved, du kender mig ikke fri.

²⁸I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

²⁹Jeg skal nu engang være skyldig, hvorfor da slide til ingen Nytte?

²⁹I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.

³⁰Toed jeg mig i Sne og tvætted i Lud mine Hænder,

³⁰If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,

³¹du dypped mig dog i Pølen, så Klæderne væmmedes ved mig.

³¹Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

³²Thi du er ikke en Mand som jeg, så jeg kunde svare, så vi kunde gå for Retten sammen;

³²But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.

³³vi savner en Voldgiftsmand til at lægge sin Hånd på os begge!

³³If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.

³⁴Fried han mig for sin Stok, og skræmmed hans Rædsler mig ikke,

³⁴He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,

³⁵da talte jeg uden at frygte ham, thi min Dom om mig selv er en anden!

³⁵I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.