Job 3
1 Derefter oplod Job sin Mund og forbandede sin Dag,
After this Job began speaking, cursing the day of his birth.
2 og Job tog til Orde og sagde:
He said,
3 Bort med den Dag, jeg fødtes, den Nat, der sagde: »Se, en Dreng!«
“Wipe out the day I was born, and the night when it was announced that a boy had been conceived.
4 Denne Dag vorde Mørke, Gud deroppe spørge ej om den, over den straale ej Lyset frem!
Turn that day to darkness. God above should not remember it. Don't let light shine on it.
5 Mulm og Mørke løse den ind, Taage lægge sig over den, Formørkelser skræmme den!
Take it back, darkness and death-shadow. A black cloud should overshadow it. It should be as terrifying as the darkness of an eclipse during the day.
6 Mørket tage den Nat, den høre ej hjemme blandt Aarets Dage, den komme ikke i Maaneders Tal!
Blot out that night as if it never existed. Don't count it on the calendar. Don't let it have a day in any month.
7 Ja, denne Nat vorde gold, der lyde ej Jubel i den!
Let that night be childless, with no sounds of happiness heard.
8 De, der besværger Dage, forbande den, de, der har lært at hidse Livjatan;
Those who place curses on certain days should curse it, those who have the power to raise Leviathan.
9 dens Morgenstjerner formørkes, den bie forgæves paa Lys, den skue ej Morgenrødens Øjenlaag,
Its early morning stars should stay dark. Looking for light, may none come, may it not see the glimmer of dawn
10 fordi den ej lukked mig Moderlivets Døre og skjulte Kvide for mit Blik!
for it did not shut my mother's womb to prevent me from seeing trouble.
11 Hvi døde jeg ikke i Moders Liv eller udaanded straks fra Moders Skød?
Why wasn't I stillborn? Why didn't I die at birth?
12 Hvorfor var der Knæ til at tage imod mig, hvorfor var der Bryster at die?
Why was there a lap for me to lie on, or breasts for me to suck?
13 Saa havde jeg nu ligget og hvilet, saa havde jeg slumret i Fred
For now I would be lying down in peace. I would be sleeping and at rest,
14 blandt Konger og Jordens Styrere, der bygged sig Gravpaladser,
along with the kings of this world and their officials whose palaces now lie in ruins,
15 blandt Fyrster, rige paa Guld, som fyldte deres Huse med Sølv.
or with noblemen who collected gold and filled their houses with silver.
16 Eller var jeg dog som et nedgravet Foster, som Børn, der ikke fik Lyset at se!
Why wasn't I a miscarriage, buried in secret, a baby who never saw the light?
17 Der larmer de gudløse ikke mer, der hviler de trætte ud,
There in the grave the wicked give no more trouble, and those whose strength is gone have their rest.
18 alle de fangne har Ro, de hører ej Fogedens Røst;
There prisoners take it easy—they don't hear the commands of their oppressors.
19 smaa og store er lige der og Trællen fri for sin Herre.
Both small and great are there, and slaves are freed from their masters.
20 Hvi giver Gud de lidende Lys, de bittert sørgende Liv,
Why does God give life to those who are suffering, living bitterly miserable lives,
21 dem, som bier forgæves paa Døden, graver derefter som efter Skatte,
those who are waiting for death that does not come and who are looking for death more desperately than hunting for treasure?
22 som glæder sig til en Stenhøj, jubler, naar de finder deres Grav —
They're so incredibly happy when the reach the grave!
23 en Mand, hvis Vej er skjult, hvem Gud har stænget inde?
Why is light given to someone who doesn't know where they're going, someone God has fenced in?
24 Thi Suk er blevet mit daglige Brød, mine Ve raab strømmer som Vand.
My groans are the bread I eat; my raging tears are the water I drink.
25 Thi hvad jeg gruer for, rammer mig, hvad jeg bæver for, kommer over mig.
For all that I feared has happened to me; everything that I dreaded has come upon me.
26 Knap har jeg Fred, og knap har jeg Ro, knap har jeg Hvile, saa kommer Uro!
I have no peace, no quiet, no rest. All that comes is rage.”
