Job 38
1 Saa svarede HERREN Job ud fra Stormvejret og sagde:
And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
2 Hvem fordunkler mit Raad med Ord, som er uden Mening?
Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
3 Omgjord som en Mand dine Lænder, jeg vil spørge, og du skal lære 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, da jeg grundede Jorden? Sig frem, om du har nogen Indsigt!
Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
5 Hvem bestemte dens Maal — du kender det jo — hvem spændte Maalesnor ud derover?
By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
6 Hvorpaa blev dens Støtter sænket, hvem lagde dens Hjørnesten,
On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
7 mens Morgenstjernerne jubled til Hobe, og alle Gudssønner raabte af Glæde?
When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
8 Hvem stængte for Havet med Porte, dengang det brusende udgik af Moders Skød,
Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
9 dengang jeg gav det Skyen til Klædning og Taagemulm til Svøb,
When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
10 dengang jeg brød det en Grænse og indsatte Portslaa og Døre
Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
11 og sagde: »Hertil og ikke længer! Her standse dine stolte Vover!«
And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
12 Har du nogen Sinde kaldt Morgenen frem, ladet Morgenrøden vide sit Sted,
Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
13 saa den greb om Jordens Flige og gudløse rystedes bort,
So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
14 saa den dannedes til som Ler under Segl, fik Farve, som var den en Klædning?
It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
15 De gudløses Lys toges fra dem, den løftede Arm blev knust.
And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
16 Har du mon været ved Havets Kilder, har du mon vandret paa Dybets Bund?
Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
17 Mon Dødens Porte har vist sig for dig, skued du Mulmets Porte?
Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
18 Saa du ud over Jordens Vidder? Sig frem, om du ved, hvor stor den er!
Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
19 Hvor er Vejen til Lysets Bolig, og hvor har Mørket mon hjemme,
Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
20 saa du kunde hente det til dets Rige og bringe det hen paa Vej til dets Bolig?
So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
21 Du ved det, du blev jo født dengang, dine Dages Tal er jo stort!
No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
22 Har du været, hvor Sneen gemmes, og skuet, hvor Hagelen vogtes,
Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
23 den, jeg gemmer til Trængselens Tid, til Kampens og Krigens Dag?
Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
24 Hvor er Vejen did, hvor Lyset deler sig, hvor Østenvinden spreder sig ud 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 Hvem aabnede Regnen en Rende og Tordenens Lyn en Vej
By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
26 for at væde folketomt Land, Ørkenen, hvor ingen bor,
Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
27 for at kvæge Øde og Ødemark og fremkalde Urter i Ørkenen?
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 mon en Fader, hvem avlede Duggens Draaber?
Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
29 Af hvilket Skød kom Isen vel frem, hvem fødte mon Himlens Rim?
Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
30 Vandet størkner som Sten, Dybets Flade trækker sig sammen.
The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
31 Knytter du Syvstjernens Baand, kan du løse Orions Lænker?
Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
32 Lader du Aftenstjernen gaa op i Tide, leder du Bjørnen med Unger?
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, fastsætter du dens Magt over Jorden?
Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
34 Kan du løfte Røsten til Sky, saa Vandskyl adlyder dig?
Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
35 Sender du Lynene ud, saa de gaar, og svarer de dig: »Her er vi!«
Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
36 Hvem lagde Visdom i sorte Skyer, hvem gav Luftsynet Kløgt?
Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
37 Hvem er saa viis, at han tæller Skyerne, hvem hælder Himmelens Vandsække om,
By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
38 naar Jorden ligger i Ælte, og Leret klumper sig sammen?
When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
39 Jager du Rov til Løvinden, stiller du Ungløvers Hunger,
Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
40 naar de dukker sig i deres Huler; ligger paa Lur i Krat?
When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
41 Hvem skaffer Ravnen Æde, naar Ungerne skriger til Gud og flakker om uden Føde?
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?
