¹Then Job answered,

¹Så tog Job til Orde og svarede:

²“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

²"Hør dog, hør mine Ord, lad det være Trøsten, I giver!

³Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on.

³Find jer nu i, at jeg taler, siden kan I jo håne!

⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient?

⁴Gælder min Klage Mennesker? Hvi skulde jeg ej være utålmodig?

⁵Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.

⁵Vend jer til mig og stivn af Rædsel, læg Hånd på Mund!

⁶When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.

⁶Jeg gruer, når jeg tænker derpå, mit Legeme gribes af Skælven:

⁷“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

⁷De gudløse, hvorfor lever de, bliver gamle, ja vokser i Kraft?

⁸Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.

⁸Deres Æt har de blivende hos sig, deres Afkom for deres Øjne;

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

⁹deres Huse er sikre mod Rædsler, Guds Svøbe rammer dem ikke;

¹⁰Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry.

¹⁰ej springer deres Tyr forgæves, Koen kælver, den kaster ikke;

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.

¹¹de slipper deres Drenge ud som Får, deres Børneflok boltrer sig ret;

¹²They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹²de synger til Pauke og Citer, er glade til Fløjtens Toner;

¹³They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. .

¹³de lever deres Dage i Lykke og synker med Fred i Dødsriget,

¹⁴They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways.

¹⁴skønt de siger til Gud: "Gå fra os, at kende dine Veje er ikke vor Lyst!

¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’

¹⁵Den Almægtige? Hvad han? Skal vi tjene ham? Hvad Gavn at banke på hos ham?"

¹⁶Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁶Er ej deres Lykke i deres Hånd og gudløses Råd ham fjernt?

¹⁷“How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

¹⁷Når går de gudløses Lampe ud og når kommer Ulykken over dem? Når deler han Loddet ud i sin Vrede,

¹⁸How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?

¹⁸så de bliver som Strå for Vinden, som Avner, Storm fører bort?

¹⁹You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.

¹⁹Gemmer Gud hans Ulykkeslod til hans Børn? Ham selv gengælde han, så han mærker det,

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²⁰lad ham selv få sit Vanheld at se, den Almægtiges Vrede at drikke!

²¹For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

²¹Thi hvad bryder han sig siden om sit Hus, når hans Måneders Tal er udrundet?

²²“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?

²²Kan man vel tage Gud i Skole, ham, som dømmer de højeste Væsner?

²³One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

²³En dør jo på Lykkens Tinde, helt tryg og så helt uden Sorger:

²⁴His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁴hans Spande er fulde af Mælk, hans Knogler af saftig Marv;

²⁵Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.

²⁵med bitter Sjæl dør en anden og har aldrig nydt nogen Lykke;

²⁶They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.

²⁶de lægger sig begge i Jorden, og begge dækkes af Orme!

²⁷“Behold, I know your thoughts, the devices with which you would wrong me.

²⁷Se, jeg kender så vel eders Tanker og de Rænker, I spinder imod mig,

²⁸For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’

²⁸når I siger: "Hvor er Stormandens Hus og det Telt, hvor de gudløse bor?"

²⁹Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences,

²⁹Har I aldrig spurgt de berejste og godkendt deres Beviser:

³⁰that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³⁰Den onde skånes på Ulykkens Dag og frelses på Vredens Dag.

³¹Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done?

³¹Hvem foreholder ham vel hans Færd, gengælder ham, hvad han gør?

³²Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb.

³²Til Graven bæres han hen, ved hans Gravhøj holdes der Vagt;

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.

³³i Dalbunden hviler han sødt, Alverden følger så efter, en Flok uden Tal gik forud for ham.

³⁴So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”

³⁴Hvor tom er den Trøst, som I giver! Eders Svar - kun Svig er tilbage!