Jobs 3

1 Då let Job upp munnen og banna fødedagen sin.

Finally, Job spoke, and he cursed the day that he was born.

2 Job tok til ords og sagde:

He said,

3 «Burt med den dag då eg vart fødd, den natt som sa: «Ein svein er avla!»

“I wish that the day when I was born could be eradicated, and also the night when I was conceived.

4 Må denne dag til myrker verta - burtgløymd av Gud i høge himmel - og inkje ljos på honom skina!

I wish that the day when I was born would have been covered in darkness. I wish that God who is in heaven [MTY] would have forgotten about that day, and that the sun would not have shone on it.

5 Lat svarte myrkret honom eiga og skyer seg kring honom samla! Dagmyrkjingar skal honom skræma

I wish that thick/intense darkness would have filled that day, and that a black cloud would have come over it and blotted out all light and caused people to be terrified.

6 og myrkret gløypa denne natt! Burt med den natt frå årsens dagar, ho kome ei i månads tal!

I wish that the night when I was conceived would be erased from the calendar, with the result that it would never again appear as one night in any month, and that it would not be included in any calendar.

7 Ja, aud og tom skal natti verta og ingen fagnad i ho klinga;

I wish that no child would again be conceived on that night of the month [MET], and that no one would again be happy on that night.

8 Dagbannarar skal henne banna, dei som kann mana upp Livjatan,

I want those people who (curse/put evil spells on) days—those who know how to arouse/awaken the great sea monster—to curse that day.

9 Og morgonstjernor skal’kje skina; fåfengt ho venta skal på ljoset - augbrunerne av morgonroden -

I wish that the stars that shone early in the morning on that day [after I was conceived] will not shine again. I want those stars to have wished in vain for light to shine; and that they would not have shone on that day.

10 av di ho ei livsdøri stengde på mor mi, so eg slapp for kval.

[That was an evil day] because my mother was able to conceive; instead, I was born, and I have now experienced all these terrible things.

11 Kvi døydd’ eg ei i moders liv? Ell’ slokna då eg rett var fødd?

“I wish that I had died [RHQ] when I was born— at the time I emerged from my mother’s womb.

12 Kvi fanst det kne som mot meg tok; og brjost eg kunde suga ved?

I wish that my mother had not [RHQ] allowed me to live. I wish that she had not nursed me.

13 So låg eg still og kvilde no, eg sov og hadde ro og fred

If I had died at the time when I was born, I would be asleep, resting peacefully [in the place where the dead people are].

14 hjå kongar og hjå fyrstar, som til gravstad pyramider bygde,

I would be resting with kings whose [beautiful palaces] that they built are now in ruins (OR, who rebuilt [palaces] that had previously been destroyed), and I would be resting with their officials [who have also died].

15 hjå hovdingar som åtte gull og fyllte sine hus med sylv;

I would be resting with princes who were wealthy, whose palaces were filled with gold and silver.

16 ell’ ufødd var eg ikkje til, lik born som aldri ljoset såg.

I wish that I had been buried like a child who died in its mother’s womb and never lived to see the light.

17 Der rasar ei dei vonde meir; der kviler dei som trøytte er;

After wicked people die, they do not cause any more troubles; those who are very tired now will rest.

18 og fangarne er trygge der; dei høyrer ingen drivar meir.

Those who were in prison rest peacefully [after they die]; they no longer have slave-drivers who curse them.

19 Der stor og liten like er, og trælen fri for herren sin.

Rich people and poor people are alike after they die, and those who were slaves are no longer controlled by their masters.

20 Kvi gjev han ljos til den som lid, og liv til deim som gremmer seg,

(“Why does God allow those who are suffering greatly [like me] to continue to remain alive?/I do not understand why God allows those who are suffering greatly [like me] to continue to remain alive.) [RHQ] Why does he allow those who are very miserable/distressed to keep living [RHQ]?

21 som fåfengt stundar etter dauden, og søkjer han som løynde skatt,

They long/want to die, but they do not die. They desire to die more than people desire to find a hidden treasure.

22 som gled seg, ja, som jublar høgt, og fegnast når dei finn ei grav -

When they finally die and are buried, they are very happy.

23 til mannen som ei finn sin veg, som Gud set fast og stengjer inne?

Those who do not know where they are [eventually] going when they die [RHQ], people whom God has forced [MET] to continue to live in misery, (it is not right that they continue to live./why do they continue to live?) [RHQ]

24 Min sukk hev vorte daglegt brød, og klaga mi som vatnet strøymar.

I continually cry very much; as a result, I cannot eat; and I can never stop groaning.

25 Meg råkar det eg ottast fyre; det som eg ræddast, hender meg.

Things that I always worried might happen to me, have happened to me; things that I always dreaded have happened to me.

26 Snaudt fær eg fred, snaudt fær eg ro, snaudt lindring - so kjem uro att.»

Now I have no peace [in my inner being], I have no peace; I cannot rest; instead, I have only troubles.”