Job 38
1 Derefter svarede Herren Job ud af Stormen og sagde:
And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
2 Hvo er den, som formørker Guds Raad med Tale uden Forstand.
Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
3 Bind op om dine Lænder som en Mand, saa vil jeg spørge dig, og undervis du mig!
Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
4 Hvor var du, der jeg grundfæstede Jorden? forkynd det, hvis du har Indsigt?
Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
5 Hvo har sat dens Maal? du ved det vel? eller hvo udstrakte Snoren over den?
By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
6 Hvorpaa ere dens Piller nedsænkede? eller hvo har lagt dens Hjørnesten?
On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
7 der Morgenstjerner sang til Hobe, og alle Guds Børn raabte af Glæde.
When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
8 Og hvo lukkede for Havet med Døre, der det brød frem, gik ud af Moders Liv,
Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
9 der jeg gjorde Sky til dets Klædning og Mørke til dets Svøb,
When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
10 der jeg afstak for det min Grænse og satte Stang og Døre for det
Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
11 og sagde: Hertil skal du komme og ikke længere; og her skal være sat Grænse for dine stolte Bølger?
And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
12 Har du i dine Dage givet Befaling til Morgenen? har du vist Morgenrøden dens Sted,
Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
13 til at gribe Jorden ved dens Flige, saa at de ugudelige rystes bort fra den?
So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
14 saa denne forvandler sig som Leret, hvori Seglet trykkes, og Tingene fremstille sig som i deres Klædebon,
It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
15 og de ugudelige unddrages deres Lys, og den opløftede Arm sønderbrydes?
And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
16 Er du kommen til Havets Kilder? og har du vandret paa Dybets Bund?
Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
17 Have Dødens Porte opladt sig for dig? eller saa du Dødens Skygges Porte?
Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
18 Har du overskuet Jordens Bredde? forkynd det, dersom du kender det alt sammen!
Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
19 Hvor er Vejen did, hvor Lyset mon bo, og hvor er Mørkets Sted,
Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
20 at du kunde bringe det til dets Landemærke, og at du kendte Stierne til dets Hus?
So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
21 Du ved det; thi den Gang blev du jo født, og dine Dages Tal er stort!
No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
22 Er du kommen til Forraadskamrene for Sneen, eller saa du Forraadskamrene for Hagelen,
Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
23 hvilke jeg har sparet til Trængsels Tid, til Strids og Krigs Dag.
Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
24 Hvor er den Vej, hvor Lyset deler sig, hvor Østenvejret spreder sig over Jorden?
Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?
25 Hvo brød Render til Vandskyl og Vej til Lynet, som gaar foran Torden,
By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
26 for at lade regne paa det Land, hvor ingen er, i Ørken, hvor intet Menneske er,
Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
27 for at mætte de øde og ødelagte Steder og bringe Græsbunden til at spire?
To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?
28 Har Regnen vel en Fader? eller hvo har avlet Duggens Draaber?
Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
29 Af hvis Moderliv er Frost udgangen? og hvo fødte Rimfrost under Himmelen?
Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
30 Vandet skjuler sig, som var det en Sten, og Dybets Overflade slutter sig sammen.
The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
31 Kan du knytte Syvstjernens Baand, eller løse Orions Reb?
Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
32 Kan du lade Dyrekredsens Stjerner komme frem til deres Tid? eller føre Bjørnen med dens Unger frem?
Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
33 Kender du Himmelens Love? eller kan du bestemme dens Herredømme over Jorden?
Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
34 Kan du opløfte din Røst til Skyen, at Vands Mangfoldighed maa skjule dig?
Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
35 Kan du udlade Lynene, at de fare frem, og at de sige til dig: Se, her ere vi?
Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
36 Hvo lagde Visdom i Hjertets Inderste? eller hvo gav Forstand i Tanken?
Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
37 Hvo kan tælle Skyerne med Visdom? og hvo kan udgyde Himmelens Vandbeholdere,
By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
38 idet Støv løber sammen til en Støbning, og Jordklumperne hænge ved hverandre?
When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
39 Kan du jage Rov til Løvinden og fylde de unge Løvers Graadighed,
Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
40 naar de lægge sig ned i deres Boliger og blive i Skjul for at lure?
When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
41 Hvo skaffer Ravnen dens Føde, naar dens Unger skrige til Gud, naar de fare hid og did, fordi de intet have at æde?
Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?
