Jobs 31
1 Med augo hev eg gjort ei pakt; eg skal’kje skygna etter møy.
“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
2 Kva gav meg elles Gud der uppe? Kva arv gav Allvald frå det høge?
For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Kjem ikkje udådsmann i naud? Og illgjersmenn i ulukka?
Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4 Ser ikkje han på mine vegar? Tel ikkje han kvart stig eg gjeng?
Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 Dersom eg fram med fals hev fare, og foten sprunge etter svik
“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
6 - Gud vege meg på rettferds vegt, so han kann sjå eg skuldlaus er! -
(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
7 Veik mine stig frå vegen av, hev hjarta etter augo gjenge, var det ein flekk på mine hender,
if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
8 so gjev ein annan et mitt såd, og riv mi planting upp med rot!
then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9 Let eg min hug av kvinna dåra, sneik eg til grannens dør meg fram,
“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door,
10 so lat mitt viv åt andre mala, og andre yver ho seg bøygje!
then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
11 For dette er ei skjemdarferd, eit brot som dom og straff fortener,
For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
12 ein eld som eta vil til avgrunns og øydeleggja all mi eiga.
for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
13 Vanvyrd’ eg retten åt min træl og trælkvinna i trætta med deim?
“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
14 - Kva gjord’ eg då, når Gud reis upp? Kva svara eg, når han meg klaga?
what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
15 Dei er som meg i morsliv skapte; ein forma oss i moderfang -
Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?
16 Um eg sagde nei når arming bad, og let enkja gråtande gå burt,
“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 hev eg mitt brød åleine ete, so farlaus inkje fekk ein bit,
or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 - nei, far for han eg var frå yngdi, frå morsliv var eg hennar førar -
(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
19 Såg eg ein stakar utan klæde, ein fatig utan yverplagg,
if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20 og so hans lender ei meg signa, og ei mi saueull han vermde,
if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
21 hev eg mot farlaus handi lyft, av di eg medhald fekk i retten:
if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
22 Let herdi mi or led då losna, og armen brotna frå sitt bein!
then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
23 For eg var ovleg rædd Guds straff, eg magtlaus stod framfor hans velde.
For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
24 Um eg mi lit til gullet sette, og voni til det fine gull,
“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
25 Gledde eg meg ved auka rikdom, og alt eg vann meg med mi hand,
If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26 såg eg på ljoset når det stråla, på månen der han skreid i glans,
if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendour,
27 vart hjarta mitt i løyndom dåra, so kyss på hand til deim eg sende,
and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
28 so var det og straffande brot, då neitta eg min Gud der uppe.
this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
29 Hev eg meg gledt ved uvens uferd, og jubla når han kom i skade,
“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
30 - men eg let ikkje munnen synda og banna honom ifrå livet -
(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
31 hev ei mitt husfolk stendigt sagt: «Kven gjekk vel svolten frå hans bord?»
if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
32 - Eg let’kje framand natta ute; for ferdamann eg opna døri -
(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveller);
33 hev eg som Adam dult mi synd, og løynt mi misgjerd i min barm,
if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 di eg var rædd den store hop og ottast spott frå ættefrendar, so stilt eg heldt meg innum dører?
because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—
35 Å, vilde nokon høyra på meg! Sjå her er underskrifti mi, lat berre Allvald svara meg! Fekk eg den skrift min motpart skreiv,
oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
36 den skulde eg på oksli bera og binda på meg som ein krans
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
37 eg melde honom kvart mitt stig, og som ein hovding møta honom.
I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
38 Dersom min åker klagar meg, og um plogforerne lyt gråta,
If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
39 åt eg hans grøda ubetalt, tok livet eg av eigarmannen:
if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
40 Lat då for kveite klunger gro, og ugras der eg sådde bygg!» Her endar Jobs tale.
let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
