Jó 4

Så tog Temaniten Elifaz til Orde og sagde:

Ærgrer det dig, om man taler til dig? Men hvem kan her være tavs?

Du har selv talt mange til Rette og styrket de slappe Hænder,

dine Ord holdt den segnende oppe, vaklende Knæ gav du Kraft.

Men nu det gælder dig selv, så taber du Modet, nu det rammer dig selv, er du slaget af Skræk!

Er ikke din Gudsfrygt din Tillid, din fromme Færd dit Håb?

Tænk efter! Hvem gik uskyldig til Grunde, hvor gik retsindige under?

Men det har jeg set: Hvo Uret pløjer og sår Fortræd, de høster det selv.

For Guds Ånd går de til Grunde, for hans Vredes Pust går de til.

Løvens Brøl og Vilddyrets Glam Ungløvernes Tænder slås ud;

Løven omkommer af Mangel på Rov, og Løveungerne spredes.

Der sneg sig til mig et Ord mit Øre opfanged dets Hvisken

i Nattesynernes Tanker, da Dvale sank over Mennesker;

Angst og Skælven kom over mig, alle mine Ledemod skjalv;

et Pust strøg over mit Ansigt, Hårene rejste sig på min Krop.

Så stod det stille! Jeg sansed ikke, hvordan det så ud; en Skikkelse stod for mit Øje, jeg hørte en hviskende Stemme:

End ikke sine Tjenere tror han, hos sine Engle finder han Fejl,

endsige hos dem, der bor i en Hytte af Ler og har deres Grundvold i Støvet!

De knuses ligesom Møl, imellem Morgen og Aften, de sønderslås uden at ænses, for evigt går de til Grunde.

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

{If} we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? {to...: Heb. a word} {withhold...: Heb. refrain from words?}

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

{Is} not {this} thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

Remember, I pray thee, who {ever} perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. {by the breath...: that is, by his anger}

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. {secretly: Heb. by stealth}

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. {came...: Heb. met} {all: Heb. the multitude of}

Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image {was} before mine eyes, {there was} silence, and I heard a voice, {saying}, {there...: or, I heard a still voice}

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: {and his...: or, nor in his angels, in whom he put light}

How much less {in} them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation {is} in the dust, {which} are crushed before the moth?

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding {it}. {destroyed: Heb. beaten in pieces}

Doth not their excellency {which is} in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.