< Job 3 >

1 After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
Derefter oplod Job sin Mund og forbandede sin Dag,
2 So then Job began, and said:
og Job tog til Orde og sagde:
3 Perish, the day wherein I was born, and the night it was said, Lo! a manchild!
Bort med den Dag, jeg fødtes, den Nat, der sagde: "Se, en Dreng!"
4 That day, be it darkness, —Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:
Denne Dag vorde Mørke, Gud deroppe spørge ej om den, over den stråle ej Lyset frem!
5 Let darkness and death-shade buy it back, May there settle down upon it a cloud, Let a day’s dark eclipse cause it terror:
Mulm og Mørke løse den ind, Tåge lægge sig over den, Formørkelser skræmme den!
6 That night, darkness take it, —May it not rejoice among the days of the year, Into the number of months, let it not enter.
Mørket tage den Nat, den høre ej hjemme blandt Årets Dage, den komme ikke i Måneders Tal!
7 Lo! that night, be it barren, Let no joyous shouting enter therein:
Ja, denne Nat vorde gold, der lyde ej Jubel i den!
8 Let day-cursers denounce it, Those skilled in rousing the dragon of the sky:
De, der besværger Dage, forbande den, de, der har lært at hidse Livjatan";
9 Darkened be the stars of its twilight, —Let it wait for light, and there be none, neither let it see the eyelashes of the dawn:
dens Morgenstjerner formørkes, den bie forgæves på Lys, den skue ej Morgenrødens Øjenlåg,
10 Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.
fordi den ej lukked mig Moderlivets Døre og skjulte Kvide for mit Blik!
11 Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?
Hvi døde jeg ikke i Moders Liv eller udånded straks fra Moders Skød?
12 For what reason, were there prepared for me—knees? and why—breasts, that I might suck?
Hvorfor var der Knæ til at tage imod mig, hvorfor var der Bryster at die?
13 Surely, at once, had I lain down, and been quiet, I had fallen asleep, then, had I been at rest:
Så havde jeg nu ligget og hvilet, så havde jeg slumret i Fred
14 With kings, and counselors of the earth, who had built them pyramids:
blandt Konger og Jordens Styrere, der bygged sig Gravpaladser,
15 Or with rulers possessing, gold, —Who had filled their houses with silver:
blandt Fyrster, rige på Guld, som fyldte deres Huse med Sølv.
16 Or that, like an untimely birth hidden away, I had not come into being, like infants that never saw light:
Eller var jeg dog som et nedgravet Foster. som Børn, der ikke fik Lyset at se!
17 There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:
Der larmer de gudløse ikke mer, der hviler de trætte ud,
18 At once are prisoners at peace, they hear not the voice of a driver:
alle de fangne har Ro, de hører ej Fogedens Røst;
19 Small and great, there, they are, and, the slave, is free from his master.
små og store er lige der og Trællen fri for sin Herre.
20 Wherefore give, to the wretched, light? Or, life, to the embittered in soul?—
Hvi giver Gud de lidende Lys, de bittert sørgende Liv,
21 Who long for death, and it is not, And have digged for it, beyond hid treasures:
dem, som bier forgæves på Døden, graver derefter som efter Skatte,
22 Who rejoice unto exultation, Are glad, when they can find the grave:
som glæder sig til en Stenhøj, jubler, når de finder deres Grav
23 To a man, whose way is concealed, And GOD hath straitly enclosed him?
en Mand, hvis Vej er skjult, hvem Gud har stænget inde?
24 For, in the face of my food, my sighing, cometh in, and, poured out like the water, are my groans:
Thi Suk er blevet mit daglige Brød, mine Ve råb strømmer som Vand.
25 For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.
Thi hvad jeg gruer for, rammer mig, hvad jeg bæver for, kommer over mig.
26 I was not careless, nor was I secure, nor had I settled down, —when there came—consternation!
Knap har jeg Fred, og knap har jeg Ro, knap har jeg Hvile, så kommer Uro!

< Job 3 >