¹Job again took up his parable, and said,

¹Og Job vedblev at fremsætte sit Tankesprog:

²“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

²Ak, havde jeg det som tilforn, som dengang Gud tog sig af mig,

³when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

³da hans Lampe lyste over mit Hoved, og jeg ved hans Lys vandt frem i Mørke,

⁴as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

⁴som i mine modne År, da Guds Fortrolighed var over mit Telt,

⁵when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

⁵da den Almægtige end var hos mig og mine Drenge var om mig,

⁶when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

⁶da mine Fødder vaded i Fløde, og Olie strømmede, hvor jeg stod,

⁷when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

⁷da jeg gik ud til Byens Port og rejste mit Sæde på Torvet.

⁸The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

⁸Når Ungdommen så mig, gemte deo sig, Oldinge rejste sig op og stod,

⁹The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

⁹Høvdinger standsed i Talen og lagde Hånd på Mund,

¹⁰The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

¹⁰Stormænds Røst forstummed, deres Tunge klæbed til Ganen;

¹¹For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:

¹¹Øret hørte og priste mig lykkelig, Øjet så og tilkendte mig Ære.

¹²Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,

¹²Thi jeg redded den arme, der skreg om Hjælp, den faderløse, der savned en Hjælper;

¹³the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

¹³den, det gik skævt, velsignede mig, jeg frydede Enkens Hjerte;

¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

¹⁴jeg klædte mig i Retfærd, og den i mig, i Ret som Kappe og Hovedbind.

¹⁵I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.

¹⁵Jeg var den blindes Øje, jeg var den lammes Fod;

¹⁶I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out.

¹⁶jeg var de fattiges Fader, udreded den mig ukendtes Sag;

¹⁷I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

¹⁷den lovløses Tænder brød jeg, rev Byttet ud af hans Gab.

¹⁸Then I said, ‘I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

¹⁸Så tænkte jeg da: "Jeg skal dø i min Rede, leve så længe som Føniksfuglen;

¹⁹My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

¹⁹min Rod kan Vand komme til, Duggen har Nattely i mine Grene;

²⁰My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’

²⁰min Ære er altid ny, min Bue er altid ung i min Hånd!"

²¹“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

²¹Mig hørte de på og bied, var tavse, mens jeg gav Råd;

²²After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.

²²ingen tog Ordet, når jeg havde talt, mine Ord faldt kvægende på dem;

²³They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

²³de bied på mig som på Regn, spærred Munden op efter Vårregn.

²⁴I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.

²⁴Mistrøstige smilte jeg til, mit Åsyns Lys fik de ej til at svinde.

²⁵I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

²⁵Vejen valgte jeg for dem og sad som Høvding, troned som Konge blandt Hærmænd, som den, der gav sørgende Trøst.