1 Da tok Job til orde og sa:2 Jeg har hørt meget som dette; I er plagsomme trøstere alle sammen.3 Blir det aldri ende på de vindige ord? Eller hvad egger dig til å svare?4 Også jeg kunde tale som I; om I var i mitt sted, kunde jeg sette ord sammen mot eder, og jeg kunde ryste på hodet over eder;5 jeg kunde styrke eder med min munn*, og mine lebers medynk kunde stille eders smerte. / {* d.e. med tomme ord.}6 Om jeg taler, stilles ikke min smerte, og lar jeg det være, hvad lindring får jeg da?7 Ja, nu har han trettet mig ut; du har ødelagt hele mitt hus.8 Og du grep mig fatt - det blev et vidne mot mig; min magerhet stod op imot mig, like i mitt åsyn vidnet den mot mig.9 Hans vrede sønderrev mig og forfulgte mig; han skar tenner imot mig; som min motstander hvesset han sine øine mot mig.10 De* spilet op sin munn mot mig, med hån slo de mine kinnben; alle slo de sig sammen mot mig. / {* mine fiender, JBS 16, 11.}11 Gud gir mig i urettferdige folks vold og styrter mig i ugudelige menneskers hender.12 Jeg levde i ro; da sønderbrøt han mig, han grep mig i nakken og sønderknuste mig, han satte mig op til skive for sig.13 Hans skyttere kringsatte mig, han kløvde mine nyrer uten barmhjertighet; han øste ut min galle på jorden.14 Han rev i mig rift på rift; han stormet mot mig som en kjempe.15 Jeg har sydd sekk om min hud og stukket mitt horn i støvet*; / {* d.e. opgitt min makt og høihet.}16 mitt ansikt er rødt av gråt, og over mine øielokk ligger det dødsskygge.17 Og dog er det ingen urett i mine hender, og min bønn er ren.18 Å jord, dekk ikke mitt blod*, og måtte det ikke være noget sted hvor mitt skrik stanser! / {* JES 26, 21. 1MO 4, 10.}19 Selv nu har jeg mitt vidne i himmelen og i det høie en som kan stadfeste mine ord.20 Stadig spotter mine venner mig; mot Gud skuer gråtende mitt øie,21 at han må la mannen få rett i hans strid med Gud og menneskebarnet rett mot hans næste;22 for få år vil det gå før jeg vandrer den vei som jeg ikke vender tilbake.

1 And Job made answer and said,2 Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.3 May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?4 It would not be hard for me to say such things if your souls were in my soul's place; joining words together against you, and shaking my head at you:5 I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.6 If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?7 But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.8 It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.9 I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;10 Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.11 God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.12 I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.13 His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.14 I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.15 I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.16 My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;17 Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.18 O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.20 My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,21 So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.22 For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.