Jobs 16

1 Då svara Job og sagde:

And Job made answer and said,

2 «Eg hev høyrt nok av dette slag; d’er brysam trøyst de alle gjev.

Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.

3 Vert det’kje slutt på tome ord? Kva er det som til svar deg driv?

May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?

4 Eg skulde tala liksom de, i fall de var i staden min; eg sette ord i hop mot dykk, eg riste hovudet mot dykk;

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 eg skulde trøysta dykk med munnen og lindra dykk med lippemedynk.

I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.

6 Men tale lindrar ei min verk, og ikkje kverv han um eg tegjer.

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 Men no hev han meg trøytta ut, du hev øydt ut min heile huslyd.

But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.

8 Du klemde meg, til vitne vart det, mi liding reiste seg imot meg og vitna mot meg beint i syni.

It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.

9 Hans vreide reiv og elte meg; han gnistra tennerne imot meg; fiendar kveste augo på meg

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 og opna munnen sin imot meg og slo mi kinn med skjemdarslag og stima saman imot meg.

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 Til farkar Gud meg yverlet og kastar meg i brotsmenns vald.

God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

12 Midt i min fred han skræmde meg, treiv meg i nakken, krasa meg, til skiva sette han meg upp.

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 Hans pilar svirrar kringum meg; bønlaust han kløyver mine nyro, mitt gall han tømer ut på jordi.

His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.

14 Han bryt meg sund med brot på brot og stormar mot meg som ei kjempa.

I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.

15 Sekk hev eg sytt um hudi mi og stukke hornet mitt i moldi.

I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.

16 Raudt er mitt andlit utav gråt, og myrkret tyngjer augneloki,

My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;

17 endå mi hand er rein for vald, og bøni mi er fri for svik.

Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.

18 Løyn ikkje blodet mitt, du jord! Legg ikkje klaga mi til kvile!

O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!

19 Alt no mitt vitne er i himmeln, min målsmann i det høge bur.

Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.

20 Når mine vener spottar meg; til Gud eg tårut auga vender.

My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

21 Han døme millom Gud og mann og millom mannen og hans ven.

So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

22 Og ikkje mange år det vert fyrr eg gjeng burt og kjem’kje att.

For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.