¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

¹Så tog Na'amatiten Zofar til Orde og sagde

²“Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.

²"Derfor bruser Tankerne i mig, og derfor stormer det i mig;

³I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me.

³til min Skam må jeg høre på Tugt, får tankeløst Mundsvejr til Svar!

⁴Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,

⁴Ved du da ikke fra Arilds Tid, fra Tiden, da Mennesket sattes på Jorden,

⁵that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?

⁵at gudløses Jubel er kort og vanhelliges Glæde stakket?

⁶Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,

⁶Steg end hans Hovmod til Himlen, raged hans Hoved i Sky,

⁷yet he shall perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him shall say, ‘Where is he?’

⁷som sit Skarn forgår han for evigt, de, der så ham, siger: "Hvor er han?"

⁸He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found. Yes, he shall be chased away like a vision of the night.

⁸Han flyr som en Drøm, man finder ham ikke, som et Nattesyn jages han bort;

⁹The eye which saw him shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more see him.

⁹Øjet, der så ham, ser ham ej mer, hans Sted får ham aldrig at se igen.

¹⁰His children shall seek the favor of the poor. His hands shall give back his wealth.

¹⁰Hans Sønner bejler til ringes Yndest, hans Hænder må give hans Gods tilbage.

¹¹His bones are full of his youth, but youth shall lie down with him in the dust.

¹¹Hans Ben var fulde af Ungdomskraft, men den lægger sig med ham i Støvet.

¹²“Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,

¹²Er det onde end sødt i hans Mund, når han gemmer det under sin Tunge,

¹³though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;

¹³sparer på det og slipper det ikke, holder det fast til sin Gane,

¹⁴yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.

¹⁴så bliver dog Maden i hans Indre til Slangegift inden i ham;

¹⁵He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.

¹⁵Godset, han slugte, må han spy ud, Gud driver det ud af hans Bug,

¹⁶He shall suck cobra venom. The viper’s tongue shall kill him.

¹⁶han indsuger Slangernes Gift, og Øgleungen slår ham ihjel;

¹⁷He shall not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.

¹⁷han skuer ej Strømme af Olie, Bække af Honning og Fløde;

¹⁸That for which he labored he shall restore, and shall not swallow it down. According to the substance that he has gotten, he shall not rejoice.

¹⁸han må af med sin Vinding, svælger den ej, får ingen Glæde af tilbyttet Gods.

¹⁹For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

¹⁹Thi han knuste de ringe og lod dem ligge, ranede Huse, han ej havde bygget.

²⁰“Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not save anything of that in which he delights.

²⁰Thi han har ingen Hjælp af sin Rigdom, trods sine Skatte reddes han ikke;

²¹There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

²¹ingen gik fri for hans Glubskhed, derfor varer hans Lykke ikke;

²²In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress shall overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery shall come on him.

²²midt i sin Overflod har han det trangt, al Slags Nød kommer over ham.

²³When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.

²³For at fylde hans Bug sender Gud sin Vredes Glød imod ham, lader sin Harme regne på ham.

²⁴He shall flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow shall strike him through.

²⁴Flyr han for Brynje af Jern, så gennemborer ham Kobberbuen;

²⁵He draws it forth, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.

²⁵en Kni kommer ud af hans Ryg, et lynende Stål af hans Galde; over ham falder Rædsler,

²⁶All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent.

²⁶idel Mørke er opsparet til ham; Ild, der ej blæses op, fortærer ham, æder Levningen i hans Telt.

²⁷The heavens shall reveal his iniquity. The earth shall rise up against him.

²⁷Himlen bringer hans Brøde for Lyset, og Jorden rejser sig mod ham.

²⁸The increase of his house shall depart. They shall rush away in the day of his wrath.

²⁸Hans Huses Vinding må bort, rives bort på Guds Vredes Dag.

²⁹This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.”

²⁹Slig er den gudløses Lod fra Gud og Lønnen fra Gud for hans Brøde!