< Job 4 >

1 Da svarede Elifas, Themaniten, og sagde:
Then Eliphaz, from Teman, replied to Job. He said,
2 Om man vilde forsøge et Ord paa dig, skulde du vel kedes derved? men hvo kan holde sig fra at tale?
“Will you please let me say something to you? I am not [RHQ] able to remain silent [any longer].
3 Se, du har undervist mange og styrket de trætte Hænder;
In the past, you have instructed/taught many people, and you have encouraged those who were weak.
4 dine Ord have oprejst den faldne, og du har styrket de bøjede Knæ;
By what you said, you have helped those who (needed spiritual help/almost quit trusting in God) [MET], and you have enabled them to become spiritually strong again [MET].
5 men nu, det kommer til dig, da kedes du derved; det rammer dig, og du forfærdes!
But now, when you experience disasters, you become discouraged. The disasters hit you, and you are stunned.
6 Var ikke din Gudsfrygt dit Haab og dine Vejes Renhed din Fortrøstning?
You revere God; (does that not cause you to trust [in him]?/that should cause you to trust [in him].) [RHQ] If you were guiltless, you would [RHQ] be confident that [God] would not [have allowed] these disasters [to] happen to you!
7 Kære, tænk dig om, hvor er en uskyldig gaaet til Grunde? eller hvor ere de oprigtige udslettede?
Think about this: Do innocent people die [while they are still young] [RHQ]? Does God get rid of godly people [RHQ]? [No!]
8 Saa vidt jeg har set, komme de, som pløje Uret, og de, som udsaa Møje, til at høste ind derefter:
What I have experienced is this: [Just as] [MET] farmers who plant bad [seeds] do not harvest good [crops], [just as those who start] trouble for others, later bring trouble on themselves.
9 De omkomme for Guds Aande og fortæres af hans Vredes Aand.
They die when God angrily blows his breath on them, when he is very angry with them.
10 Løvens Brøl og den grumme Løves Røst hører op, og de unge Løvers Tænder ere knuste;
[Even though wicked people may be very powerful like] young lions, [God] will get rid of them [MET].
11 Løven omkommer af Mangel paa Rov, og Løvindens Unger adspredes.
[They will die like] fierce lions [that] starve to death when there are no animals that they can kill and eat, and [their children will be separated from each other like] young lions separate from each other [to find food].”
12 Men mig er et Ord tilbragt hemmeligt, og mit Øre fattede en sagte Lyd deraf
“I heard a message that someone came and whispered to me.
13 i Tanker, fremkaldte ved Syner om Natten, naar dyb Søvn falder paa Folk;
He spoke to me at night when I was having a bad dream that disturbed/frightened me while I was fast asleep.
14 da kom Frygt og Bævelse paa mig og bragte mine Ben til at skælve;
It caused me to be afraid and tremble; it caused all my bones to shake.
15 og en Aand gik frem for mit Ansigt; Haarene rejste sig paa mit Legeme;
A ghost glided past my face and caused the hair on [on the back of] my neck to stand straight up.
16 den blev staaende, og jeg kunde ikke kende dens Skikkelse; der svævede et Billede for mine Øjne; det var stille, og jeg hørte en Røst:
It stopped, but I could not see what form it had. But [I could sense that] there was some being in front of me, and it said in a quiet voice,
17 Mon et Menneske kan holdes retfærdigt for Gud? monne en Mand være ren for den, som skabte ham?
‘(Does God consider anyone to be righteous?/No human beings can be righteous in God’s sight!) [RHQ] (Their creator cannot consider them to be pure./Can their creator consider them to be pure?) [RHQ]
18 Se, han tror ikke paa sine Tjenere, og sine Engle tillægger han Daarskab,
God cannot be sure that his own angels [will always do what is right]; he declares that some of them have done what is wrong.
19 endsige da dem, som bo i Lerhuse, og hvis Grundvold er i Støvet; man kan støde dem smaa før Møl;
So he certainly cannot trust human beings who were made from dust and clay, who are crushed as easily as moths are crushed!
20 fra Morgen og indtil Aften sønderknuses de; uden at der er nogen, som lægger det paa Hjerte, gaa de til Grunde.
People are sometimes well in the morning, but in the evening they are dead. They are gone forever and do not even know it (OR, and no one pays any attention to it).
21 Farer ikke deres Herlighed, som var i dem, bort? ja, de dø, men ikke i Visdom.
They are like [MET] tents that collapse [suddenly]: They die [suddenly] before they become wise.’”

< Job 4 >