1After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
1Derefter oplod Job sin Mund og forbandede sin Dag,
2Job answered:
2og Job tog til Orde og sagde:
3“Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’
3Bort med den Dag, jeg fødtes, den Nat, der sagde: "Se, en Dreng!"
4Let that day be darkness. Don’t let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it.
4Denne Dag vorde Mørke, Gud deroppe spørge ej om den, over den stråle ej Lyset frem!
5Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes black the day terrify it.
5Mulm og Mørke løse den ind, Tåge lægge sig over den, Formørkelser skræmme den!
6As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
6Mørket tage den Nat, den høre ej hjemme blandt Årets Dage, den komme ikke i Måneders Tal!
7Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.
7Ja, denne Nat vorde gold, der lyde ej Jubel i den!
8Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
8De, der besværger Dage, forbande den, de, der har lært at hidse Livjatan";
9Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,
9dens Morgenstjerner formørkes, den bie forgæves på Lys, den skue ej Morgenrødens Øjenlåg,
10because it didn’t shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
10fordi den ej lukked mig Moderlivets Døre og skjulte Kvide for mit Blik!
11“Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
11Hvi døde jeg ikke i Moders Liv eller udånded straks fra Moders Skød?
12Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?
12Hvorfor var der Knæ til at tage imod mig, hvorfor var der Bryster at die?
13For now should I have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,
13Så havde jeg nu ligget og hvilet, så havde jeg slumret i Fred
14with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;
14blandt Konger og Jordens Styrere, der bygged sig Gravpaladser,
15or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
15blandt Fyrster, rige på Guld, som fyldte deres Huse med Sølv.
16or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.
16Eller var jeg dog som et nedgravet Foster. som Børn, der ikke fik Lyset at se!
17There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.
17Der larmer de gudløse ikke mer, der hviler de trætte ud,
18There the prisoners are at ease together. They don’t hear the voice of the taskmaster.
18alle de fangne har Ro, de hører ej Fogedens Røst;
19The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.
19små og store er lige der og Trællen fri for sin Herre.
20“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,
20Hvi giver Gud de lidende Lys, de bittert sørgende Liv,
21Who long for death, but it doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
21dem, som bier forgæves på Døden, graver derefter som efter Skatte,
22who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
22som glæder sig til en Stenhøj, jubler, når de finder deres Grav
23Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
23en Mand, hvis Vej er skjult, hvem Gud har stænget inde?
24For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.
24Thi Suk er blevet mit daglige Brød, mine Ve råb strømmer som Vand.
25For the thing which I fear comes on me, That which I am afraid of comes to me.
25Thi hvad jeg gruer for, rammer mig, hvad jeg bæver for, kommer over mig.
26I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; but trouble comes.”
26Knap har jeg Fred, og knap har jeg Ro, knap har jeg Hvile, så kommer Uro!