Jobs 29
1 Då heldt Job fram med talen sin og sagde:
And Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 «Å, var eg som i fordums måna’r, som den gong Gud mi verja var,
Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
3 då yver meg hans lampa skein, som lyste meg i myrkret fram,
When his lamp shined upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;
4 slik som eg var i mogne manndom, då Gud var ven i huset mitt,
As I was in the ripeness of my days, when the secret of God was upon my tent;
5 då Allvald endå med meg var, og mine born eg kring meg såg,
When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;
6 då eg i fløyte foten tvådde, og olje rann av fjellet nær meg,
When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
7 då eg til porten steig i byen, og sessen min på torget tok!
When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the street,
8 Ungdomen såg meg, løynde seg; dei gamle reiste seg og stod;
The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;
9 hovdingar stogga midt i talen og lagde handi på sin munn;
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
10 og røysti tagna hjå dei gjæve, og tunga seg til gomen kleimde;
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 dei som meg høyrde, sælka meg, og dei som såg meg, vitna for meg.
For when the ear heard [me], then it blessed me; and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness unto me:
12 Eg berga arming når han ropa, og farlaus som var utan hjelp;
Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.
13 velsigning fekk eg frå forkomne, og enkjor fekk eg til å jubla.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 Rettferd var min, eg hennar bunad; rett var mi kappa og mi kruna.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15 Eg for den blinde auga var, og føter var eg for den halte.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 Ein far eg var for fatigfolk; eg for ukjende saki granska.
I was a father to the needy: and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
17 På brotsmann tennerne eg knekte, reiv fengdi utor gapet hans.
And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 Eg sagde: «I reiret skal eg døy, med dagar talrike som sand.
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand:
19 Til roti mi skal vatnet trengja, dogg bu ved natt på greini mi;
My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew lieth all night upon my branch:
20 mi æra held seg frisk hjå meg, bogen vert ny handi mi.»
My glory is fresh in me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 Dei høyrde ventande på meg, og lydde stilt på rådi mi.
Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22 Og ikkje la dei mot mitt ord, min tale draup ned yver deim.
After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 På meg dei bia som på regn, ja, som vårregn opna munnen.
And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 Eg smilte til mismodige, mitt andlit fekk dei ikkje myrkt.
If I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 Når eg deim vitja, sat eg fremst, sat som ein konge i sin herflokk, lik ein som trøystar syrgjande.
I chose out their way, and sat [as] chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
