1 Så tog Na'amatiten Zofar til Orde og sagde:

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

2 "Skal en Ordgyder ej have Svar, skal en Mundheld vel have Ret?

2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,And a talkative man be acquitted?

3 Skal Mænd vel tie til din Skvalder, skal du spotte og ikke få Skam?

3 “Shall your boasts silence men?And shall you scoff and none rebuke?

4 Du siger: "Min Færd er lydeløs, og jeg er ren i hans Øjne!"

4 “For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,And I am innocent in your eyes.’

5 Men vilde dog Gud kun tale, oplade sine Læber imod dig,

5 “But would that God might speak,And open His lips against you,

6 kundgøre dig Visdommens Løndom, thi underfuld er den i Væsen; da vilde du vide, at Gud har glemt dig en Del af din Skyld!

6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!For sound wisdom has two sides.Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.

7 Har du loddet Bunden i Gud og nået den Almægtiges Grænse?

7 “Can you discover the depths of God?Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?

8 Højere er den end Himlen hvad kan du? Dybere end Dødsriget - hvad ved du?

8 “They are high as the heavens, what can you do?Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?

9 Den overgår Jorden i Vidde, er mere vidtstrakt end Havet.

9 “Its measure is longer than the earthAnd broader than the sea.

10 Farer han frem og fængsler, stævner til Doms, hvem hindrer ham?

10 “If He passes by or shuts up,Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?

11 Han kender jo Løgnens Mænd, Uret ser han og agter derpå,

11 “For He knows false men,And He sees iniquity without investigating.

12 så tomhjernet Mand får Vid, og Vildæsel fødes til Menneske.

12 “An idiot will become intelligentWhen the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

13 Hvis du får Skik på dit Hjerte og breder dine Hænder imod ham,

13 “If you would direct your heart rightAnd spread out your hand to Him,

14 hvis Uret er fjern fra din Hånd, og Brøde ej bor i dit Telt,

14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

15 ja, da kan du lydefri løfte dit Åsyn og uden at frygte stå fast,

15 “Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,And you would be steadfast and not fear.

16 ja, da skal du glemme din Kvide, mindes den kun som Vand, der flød bort;

16 “For you would forget your trouble,As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.

17 dit Liv skal overstråle Middagssolen, Mørket vorde som lyse Morgen.

17 “Your life would be brighter than noonday;Darkness would be like the morning.

18 Tryg skal du være, fordi du har Håb; du ser dig om og går trygt til Hvile,

18 “Then you would trust, because there is hope;And you would look around and rest securely.

19 du ligger uden at skræmmes op. Til din Yndest vil mange bejle.

19 “You would lie down and none would disturb you,And many would entreat your favor.

20 Men de gudløses Øjne vansmægter; ude er det med deres Tilflugt, deres Håb er blot at udånde Sjælen! 

20 “But the eyes of the wicked will fail,And there will be no escape for them;And their hope is to breathe their last.”

Det Nye Testamente 1907. Det Gamle Testamente 1931

Public Domain

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org