Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
Med augo hev eg gjort ei pakt; eg skal’kje skygna etter møy.
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Kva gav meg elles Gud der uppe? Kva arv gav Allvald frå det høge?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Kjem ikkje udådsmann i naud? Og illgjersmenn i ulukka?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Ser ikkje han på mine vegar? Tel ikkje han kvart stig eg gjeng?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
Dersom eg fram med fals hev fare, og foten sprunge etter svik
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
- Gud vege meg på rettferds vegt, so han kann sjå eg skuldlaus er! -
7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
Veik mine stig frå vegen av, hev hjarta etter augo gjenge, var det ein flekk på mine hender,
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
so gjev ein annan et mitt såd, og riv mi planting upp med rot!
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
Let eg min hug av kvinna dåra, sneik eg til grannens dør meg fram,
10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
so lat mitt viv åt andre mala, og andre yver ho seg bøygje!
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
For dette er ei skjemdarferd, eit brot som dom og straff fortener,
12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
ein eld som eta vil til avgrunns og øydeleggja all mi eiga.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
Vanvyrd’ eg retten åt min træl og trælkvinna i trætta med deim?
14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
- Kva gjord’ eg då, når Gud reis upp? Kva svara eg, når han meg klaga?
15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
Dei er som meg i morsliv skapte; ein forma oss i moderfang -
16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
Um eg sagde nei når arming bad, og let enkja gråtande gå burt,
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
hev eg mitt brød åleine ete, so farlaus inkje fekk ein bit,
18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
- nei, far for han eg var frå yngdi, frå morsliv var eg hennar førar -
19 If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
Såg eg ein stakar utan klæde, ein fatig utan yverplagg,
20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
og so hans lender ei meg signa, og ei mi saueull han vermde,
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
hev eg mot farlaus handi lyft, av di eg medhald fekk i retten:
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
Let herdi mi or led då losna, og armen brotna frå sitt bein!
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
For eg var ovleg rædd Guds straff, eg magtlaus stod framfor hans velde.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
Um eg mi lit til gullet sette, og voni til det fine gull,
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
Gledde eg meg ved auka rikdom, og alt eg vann meg med mi hand,
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
såg eg på ljoset når det stråla, på månen der han skreid i glans,
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
vart hjarta mitt i løyndom dåra, so kyss på hand til deim eg sende,
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
so var det og straffande brot, då neitta eg min Gud der uppe.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
Hev eg meg gledt ved uvens uferd, og jubla når han kom i skade,
30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
- men eg let ikkje munnen synda og banna honom ifrå livet -
31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
hev ei mitt husfolk stendigt sagt: «Kven gjekk vel svolten frå hans bord?»
32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
- Eg let’kje framand natta ute; for ferdamann eg opna døri -
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
hev eg som Adam dult mi synd, og løynt mi misgjerd i min barm,
34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
di eg var rædd den store hop og ottast spott frå ættefrendar, so stilt eg heldt meg innum dører?
35 Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
Å, vilde nokon høyra på meg! Sjå her er underskrifti mi, lat berre Allvald svara meg! Fekk eg den skrift min motpart skreiv,
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
den skulde eg på oksli bera og binda på meg som ein krans
37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
eg melde honom kvart mitt stig, og som ein hovding møta honom.
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
Dersom min åker klagar meg, og um plogforerne lyt gråta,
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
åt eg hans grøda ubetalt, tok livet eg av eigarmannen:
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
Lat då for kveite klunger gro, og ugras der eg sådde bygg!» Her endar Jobs tale.
