Job 31
1 “I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
Med augo hev eg gjort ei pakt; eg skal’kje skygna etter møy.
2 [If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
Kva gav meg elles Gud der uppe? Kva arv gav Allvald frå det høge?
3 [Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
Kjem ikkje udådsmann i naud? Og illgjersmenn i ulukka?
4 God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
Ser ikkje han på mine vegar? Tel ikkje han kvart stig eg gjeng?
5 [“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
Dersom eg fram med fals hev fare, og foten sprunge etter svik
6 I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
- Gud vege meg på rettferds vegt, so han kann sjå eg skuldlaus er! -
7 If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
Veik mine stig frå vegen av, hev hjarta etter augo gjenge, var det ein flekk på mine hender,
8 then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
so gjev ein annan et mitt såd, og riv mi planting upp med rot!
9 “If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
Let eg min hug av kvinna dåra, sneik eg til grannens dør meg fram,
10 I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
so lat mitt viv åt andre mala, og andre yver ho seg bøygje!
11 [For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
For dette er ei skjemdarferd, eit brot som dom og straff fortener,
12 My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
ein eld som eta vil til avgrunns og øydeleggja all mi eiga.
13 “And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
Vanvyrd’ eg retten åt min træl og trælkvinna i trætta med deim?
14 God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
- Kva gjord’ eg då, når Gud reis upp? Kva svara eg, når han meg klaga?
15 God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
Dei er som meg i morsliv skapte; ein forma oss i moderfang -
16 “I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
Um eg sagde nei når arming bad, og let enkja gråtande gå burt,
hev eg mitt brød åleine ete, so farlaus inkje fekk ein bit,
- nei, far for han eg var frå yngdi, frå morsliv var eg hennar førar -
19 or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
Såg eg ein stakar utan klæde, ein fatig utan yverplagg,
20 and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
og so hans lender ei meg signa, og ei mi saueull han vermde,
21 or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
hev eg mot farlaus handi lyft, av di eg medhald fekk i retten:
22 [if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
Let herdi mi or led då losna, og armen brotna frå sitt bein!
23 I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
For eg var ovleg rædd Guds straff, eg magtlaus stod framfor hans velde.
24 “If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
Um eg mi lit til gullet sette, og voni til det fine gull,
25 or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
Gledde eg meg ved auka rikdom, og alt eg vann meg med mi hand,
26 or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
såg eg på ljoset når det stråla, på månen der han skreid i glans,
27 and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
vart hjarta mitt i løyndom dåra, so kyss på hand til deim eg sende,
28 those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
so var det og straffande brot, då neitta eg min Gud der uppe.
29 “[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
Hev eg meg gledt ved uvens uferd, og jubla når han kom i skade,
- men eg let ikkje munnen synda og banna honom ifrå livet -
31 [It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
hev ei mitt husfolk stendigt sagt: «Kven gjekk vel svolten frå hans bord?»
- Eg let’kje framand natta ute; for ferdamann eg opna døri -
33 Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
hev eg som Adam dult mi synd, og løynt mi misgjerd i min barm,
34 and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
di eg var rædd den store hop og ottast spott frå ættefrendar, so stilt eg heldt meg innum dører?
35 “I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
Å, vilde nokon høyra på meg! Sjå her er underskrifti mi, lat berre Allvald svara meg! Fekk eg den skrift min motpart skreiv,
36 [If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
den skulde eg på oksli bera og binda på meg som ein krans
37 I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
eg melde honom kvart mitt stig, og som ein hovding møta honom.
38 If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
Dersom min åker klagar meg, og um plogforerne lyt gråta,
39 or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
åt eg hans grøda ubetalt, tok livet eg av eigarmannen:
40 then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
Lat då for kveite klunger gro, og ugras der eg sådde bygg!» Her endar Jobs tale.
