¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

¹Så tog Temaniten Elifaz til Orde og sagde:

²“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?

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

³Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?

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

⁴Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.

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

⁵For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.

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

⁶Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.

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

⁷“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?

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

⁸Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

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

⁹What do you know, that we don’t know? What do you understand, which is not in us?

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

¹⁰With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder than your father.

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

¹¹Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?

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

¹²Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,

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

¹³That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?

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

¹⁴What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

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

¹⁵Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;

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

¹⁶how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!

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

¹⁷“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare:

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

¹⁸(Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;

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

¹⁹to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):

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

²⁰the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

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

²¹A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.

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

²²He doesn’t believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.

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

²³He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

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

²⁴Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

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

²⁵Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty;

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

²⁶he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;

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

²⁷because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.

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

²⁸He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.

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

²⁹He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.

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

³⁰He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God’s mouth shall he go away.

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

³¹Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall be his reward.

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

³²It shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall not be green.

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

³³He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.

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

³⁴For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

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

³⁵They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”

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