Job 31
1 Ett förbund slöt jag med mina ögon: aldrig skulle jag skåda efter någon jungfru.
“I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
2 Vilken lott finge jag eljest av Gud i höjden, vilken arvedel av den Allsmäktige därovan?
[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!
3 Ofärd kommer ju över de orättfärdiga, och olycka drabbar ogärningsmän.
[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.
4 Ser icke han mina vägar, räknar han ej alla mina steg?
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.
5 Har jag väl umgåtts med lögn, och har min fot varit snar till svek?
[“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
6 Nej, må jag vägas på en riktig våg, så skall Gud förnimma min ostrafflighet.
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).
7 Hava mina steg vikit av ifrån vägen, har mitt hjärta följt efter mina ögon, eller låder vid min händer en fläck?
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,
8 Då må en annan äta var jag har sått, och vad jag har planterat må ryckas upp med roten.
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.
9 Har mitt hjärta låtit dåra sig av någon kvinna, så att jag har stått på lur vid min nästas dörr?
“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],
10 Då må min hustru mala mjöl åt en annan, och främmande män må då famntaga henne.
I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
11 Ja, sådant hade varit en skändlighet, en straffbar missgärning hade det varit,
[For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
12 en eld som skulle förtära intill avgrunden och förhärja till roten all min gröda.
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)
13 Har jag kränkt min tjänares eller tjänarinnas rätt, när de hade någon tvist med mig?
“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,
14 Vad skulle jag då göra, när Gud stode upp, och när han hölle räfst, vad kunde jag då svara honom?
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]
15 Han som skapade mig skapade ju och dem i moderlivet, han, densamme, har berett dem i modersskötet.
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].
16 Har jag vägrat de arma vad de begärde eller låtit änkans ögon försmäkta?
“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]),
17 Har jag ätit mitt brödstycke allena, utan att den faderlöse och har fått äta därav?
18 Nej, från min ungdom fostrades han hos mig såsom hos en fader, och från min moders liv var jag änkors ledare.
19 Har jag kunnat se en olycklig gå utan kläder, se en fattig ej äga något att skyla sig med?
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],
20 Måste ej fastmer hans länd välsigna mig, och fick han ej värma sig i ull av mina lamm?
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, ]
21 Har jag lyft min hand mot den faderlöse, därför att jag såg mig hava medhåll i porten?
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);
22 Då må min axel lossna från sitt fäste och min arm brytas av ifrån sin led.
[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.
23 Jag måste då frukta ofärd ifrån Gud och skulle stå maktlös inför hans majestät.
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].
24 Har jag satt mitt hopp till guldet och kallat guldklimpen min förtröstan?
“If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
25 Var det min glädje att min rikedom blev så stor, och att min hand förvärvade så mycket?
or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
26 Hände det, när jag såg solljuset, huru det sken, och månen, huru härligt den gick fram,
or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
27 att mitt hjärta hemligen lät dåra sig, så att jag med handkyss gav dem min hyllning?
and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
28 Nej, också det hade varit en straffbar missgärning; därmed hade jag ju förnekat Gud i höjden.
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].
29 Har jag glatt mig åt min fiendes ofärd och fröjdats, när olycka träffade honom?
“[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].
30 Nej, jag tillstadde ej min mun att synda så, ej att med förbannelse begära hans liv.
31 Och kan mitt husfolk icke bevittna att envar fick mätta sig av kött vid mitt bord?
[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]!
32 Främlingen behövde ej stanna över natten på gatan, mina dörrar lät jag stå öppna utåt vägen.
33 Har jag på människovis skylt mina överträdelser och gömt min missgärning i min barm,
Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
34 av fruktan för den stora hopen och av rädsla för stamfränders förakt, så att jag teg och ej gick utom min dörr?
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.
35 Ack att någon funnes, som ville höra mig! Jag har sagt mitt ord. Den Allsmäktige må nu svara mig; ack att jag finge min vederparts motskrift!
“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.
36 Sannerligen, jag skulle då bära den högt på min skuldra, såsom en krona skulle jag fästa den på mig.
[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].
37 Jag ville då göra honom räkenskap för alla mina steg, lik en furste skulle jag då träda inför honom.
I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
38 Har min mark höjt rop över mig, och hava dess fåror gråtit med varandra?
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;
39 Har jag förtärt dess gröda obetald eller utpinat dess brukares liv?
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];
40 Då må törne växa upp för vete, och ogräs i stället för korn. Slut på Jobs tal.
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].
