Jó 21
Så tog Job til Orde og svarede:
Find jer nu i, at jeg taler, siden kan I jo håne!
Gælder min Klage Mennesker? Hvi skulde jeg ej være utålmodig?
Vend jer til mig og stivn af Rædsel, læg Hånd på Mund!
Jeg gruer, når jeg tænker derpå, mit Legeme gribes af Skælven:
De gudløse, hvorfor lever de, bliver gamle, ja vokser i Kraft?
Deres Æt har de blivende hos sig, deres Afkom for deres Øjne;
deres Huse er sikre mod Rædsler, Guds Svøbe rammer dem ikke;
ej springer deres Tyr forgæves, Koen kælver, den kaster ikke;
de slipper deres Drenge ud som Får, deres Børneflok boltrer sig ret;
de synger til Pauke og Citer, er glade til Fløjtens Toner;
de lever deres Dage i Lykke og synker med Fred i Dødsriget,
Er ej deres Lykke i deres Hånd og gudløses Råd ham fjernt?
Når går de gudløses Lampe ud og når kommer Ulykken over dem? Når deler han Loddet ud i sin Vrede,
så de bliver som Strå for Vinden, som Avner, Storm fører bort?
Gemmer Gud hans Ulykkeslod til hans Børn? Ham selv gengælde han, så han mærker det,
lad ham selv få sit Vanheld at se, den Almægtiges Vrede at drikke!
Thi hvad bryder han sig siden om sit Hus, når hans Måneders Tal er udrundet?
Kan man vel tage Gud i Skole, ham, som dømmer de højeste Væsner?
En dør jo på Lykkens Tinde, helt tryg og så helt uden Sorger:
hans Spande er fulde af Mælk, hans Knogler af saftig Marv;
med bitter Sjæl dør en anden og har aldrig nydt nogen Lykke;
de lægger sig begge i Jorden, og begge dækkes af Orme!
Se, jeg kender så vel eders Tanker og de Rænker, I spinder imod mig,
Har I aldrig spurgt de berejste og godkendt deres Beviser:
Den onde skånes på Ulykkens Dag og frelses på Vredens Dag.
Hvem foreholder ham vel hans Færd, gengælder ham, hvad han gør?
Til Graven bæres han hen, ved hans Gravhøj holdes der Vagt;
i Dalbunden hviler han sødt, Alverden følger så efter, en Flok uden Tal gik forud for ham.
Hvor tom er den Trøst, som I giver! Eders Svar - kun Svig er tilbage!
But Job answered and said,
Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.
Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
As for me, {is} my complaint to man? and if {it were so}, why should not my spirit be troubled? {troubled: Heb. shortened?}
Mark me, and be astonished, and lay {your} hand upon {your} mouth. {Mark...: Heb. Look unto me}
Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
Their houses {are} safe from fear, neither {is} the rod of God upon them. {safe...: Heb. peace from}
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. {in wealth: or, in mirth}
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
What {is} the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
Lo, their good {is} not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and {how oft} cometh their destruction upon them! {God} distributeth sorrows in his anger. {candle: or, lamp}
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. {carrieth: Heb. stealeth}
God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know {it}. {his iniquity: that is, the punishment of his iniquity}
His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
For what pleasure {hath} he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
Shall {any} teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.
One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. {his...: Heb. his very, or, the strength of, his perfection}
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. {breasts: or, milk pails}
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices {which} ye wrongfully imagine against me.
For ye say, Where {is} the house of the prince? and where {are} the dwelling places of the wicked? {the dwelling...: Heb. the tent of the tabernacles}
Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. {wrath: Heb. wraths}
Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him {what} he hath done?
Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb. {grave: Heb. graves} {remain...: Heb. watch in the heap}
The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as {there are} innumerable before him.
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood? {falsehood: Heb. transgression?}