Job 29
1 Og Job vedblev at fremsætte sit Tankesprog:
Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
2 Ak, havde jeg det som tilforn, som dengang Gud tog sig af mig,
Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
3 da hans Lampe lyste over mit Hoved, og jeg ved hans Lys vandt frem i Mørke,
At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.
4 som i mine modne Aar, da Guds Fortrolighed var over mit Telt,
I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
5 da den Almægtige end var hos mig og mine Drenge var om mig,
At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
6 da mine Fødder vaded i Fløde, og Olie strømmede, hvor jeg stod,
Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
7 da jeg gik ud til Byens Port og rejste mit Sæde paa Torvet.
When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
8 Naar Ungdommen saa mig, gemte den sig, Oldinge rejste sig op og stod,
The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
9 Høvdinger standsed i Talen og lagde Haand paa Mund,
The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
10 Stormænds Røst forstummed, deres Tunge klæbed til Ganen;
The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
11 Øret hørte og priste mig lykkelig, Øjet saa og tilkendte mig Ære.
The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
12 Thi jeg redded den arme, der skreg om Hjælp, den faderløse, der savned en Hjælper;
This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
13 den, det gik skævt, velsignede mig, jeg frydede Enkens Hjerte;
The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
14 jeg klædte mig i Retfærd, og den i mig, i Ret som Kappe og Hovedbind.
I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
15 Jeg var den blindes Øje, jeg var den lammes Fod;
I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
16 jeg var de fattiges Fader, udreded den mig ukendtes Sag;
I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
17 den lovløses Tænder brød jeg, rev Byttet ud af hans Gab.
I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
18 Saa tænkte jeg da: »Jeg skal dø i min Rede, leve saa længe som Føniksfuglen;
And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
19 min Rod kan Vand komme til, Duggen har Nattely i mine Grene;
My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
20 min Ære er altid ny, min Bue er altid ung i min Haand!«
My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
21 Mig hørte de paa og bied, var tavse, mens jeg gav Raad;
Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
22 ingen tog Ordet, naar jeg havde talt, mine Ord faldt kvægende paa dem;
To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
23 de bied paa mig som paa Regn, spærred Munden op efter Vaarregn.
They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
24 Mistrøstige smilte jeg til, mit Aasyns Lys fik de ej til at svinde.
If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
25 Vejen valgte jeg for dem og sad som Høvding, troned som Konge blandt Hærmænd, som den, der gav sørgende Trøst.
If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.
