Jó 3

Derefter oplod Job sin Mund og forbandede sin Dag,

og Job tog til Orde og sagde:

Denne Dag vorde Mørke, Gud deroppe spørge ej om den, over den stråle ej Lyset frem!

Mulm og Mørke løse den ind, Tåge lægge sig over den, Formørkelser skræmme den!

Mørket tage den Nat, den høre ej hjemme blandt Årets Dage, den komme ikke i Måneders Tal!

Ja, denne Nat vorde gold, der lyde ej Jubel i den!

dens Morgenstjerner formørkes, den bie forgæves på Lys, den skue ej Morgenrødens Øjenlåg,

fordi den ej lukked mig Moderlivets Døre og skjulte Kvide for mit Blik!

Hvi døde jeg ikke i Moders Liv eller udånded straks fra Moders Skød?

Hvorfor var der Knæ til at tage imod mig, hvorfor var der Bryster at die?

Så havde jeg nu ligget og hvilet, så havde jeg slumret i Fred

blandt Konger og Jordens Styrere, der bygged sig Gravpaladser,

blandt Fyrster, rige på Guld, som fyldte deres Huse med Sølv.

Eller var jeg dog som et nedgravet Foster. som Børn, der ikke fik Lyset at se!

Der larmer de gudløse ikke mer, der hviler de trætte ud,

alle de fangne har Ro, de hører ej Fogedens Røst;

små og store er lige der og Trællen fri for sin Herre.

Hvi giver Gud de lidende Lys, de bittert sørgende Liv,

dem, som bier forgæves på Døden, graver derefter som efter Skatte,

som glæder sig til en Stenhøj, jubler, når de finder deres Grav

en Mand, hvis Vej er skjult, hvem Gud har stænget inde?

Thi Suk er blevet mit daglige Brød, mine Ve råb strømmer som Vand.

Thi hvad jeg gruer for, rammer mig, hvad jeg bæver for, kommer over mig.

Knap har jeg Fred, og knap har jeg Ro, knap har jeg Hvile, så kommer Uro!

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

And Job spake, and said, {spake: Heb. answered}

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night {in which} it was said, There is a man child conceived.

Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. {stain: or, challenge} {let the...: or, let them terrify it, as those who have a bitter day}

As {for} that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. {let it not be...: or, let it not rejoice among the days}

Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. {their...: or, leviathan}

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but {have} none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: {the dawning...: Heb. the eyelids of the morning}

Because it shut not up the doors of my {mother's} womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

Why died I not from the womb? {why} did I {not} give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;

Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants {which} never saw light.

There the wicked cease {from} troubling; and there the weary be at rest. {weary: Heb. wearied in strength}

{There} the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

The small and great are there; and the servant {is} free from his master.

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter {in} soul;

Which long for death, but it {cometh} not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; {long: Heb. wait}

Which rejoice exceedingly, {and} are glad, when they can find the grave?

{Why is light given} to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. {I eat: Heb. my meat}

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. {the thing...: Heb. I feared a fear, and it came upon me}

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.