Job’s Reply
1Job replied,
2“How long will you people make me suffer?
How long will you crush me with your words?
3You have already accused me many times.
You have attacked me without feeling any shame.
4Suppose it’s true that I’ve gone down the wrong path.
Then it’s my concern, not yours.
5Suppose you want to place yourselves above me.
Suppose you want to use my shame to prove I’m wrong.
6Then I want you to know that God hasn’t treated me right.
In fact, he has captured me in his net.
7“I cry out, ‘Someone harmed me!’
But I don’t get any reply.
I call out for help.
But I’m not treated fairly.
8God has blocked my way, and I can’t get through.
He has made my paths so dark I can’t see where I’m going.
9He has taken my wealth away from me.
He has stripped me of my honor.
10He tears me down on every side until I’m gone.
He pulls up the roots of my hope as if I were a tree.
11His anger burns against me.
He thinks I’m one of his enemies.
12His troops march toward me in force.
They come at me from every direction.
They camp around my tent.
13“God has caused my family to desert me.
The people I used to know are now strangers to me.
14My relatives have gone away.
My closest friends have forgotten me.
15My guests and my female servants think of me as a stranger.
They look at me as if I were an outsider.
16I send for my servant, but he doesn’t answer.
He doesn’t come, even though I beg him to.
17My wife can’t stand the way my breath smells.
My own family won’t have anything to do with me.
18Even little children mock me.
When I appear, they make fun of me.
19All my close friends hate me.
Those I love have turned against me.
20I’m nothing but skin and bones.
I’ve barely escaped death.
21“Have pity on me, my friends! Please have pity!
God has struck me down with his powerful hand.
22Why do you chase after me as he does?
Aren’t you satisfied with what you have done to me already?
23“I wish my words were written down!
I wish they were written in a book!
24I wish they were cut into lead with an iron tool!
I wish they were carved in rock forever!
25I know that my redeemer lives.
In the end he will stand on the earth.
26Though my skin will be destroyed,
in my body I’ll see God.
27I myself will see him with my own eyes.
I’ll see him, and he won’t be a stranger to me.
How my heart longs for that day!
28“You might say, ‘Let’s keep bothering Job.
After all, he’s the cause of all his suffering.’
29But you should be afraid when God comes to judge you.
He’ll be angry. He’ll punish you with his sword.
Then you will know that he is the Judge.”
Jobs sjette tale: Et svar til Bildad
1Job gav følgende svar:
2„Hvor længe bliver I ved med at håne mig?
Hvor længe vil I plage mig med jeres fornærmelser?
3I anklager mig nu for tiende gang,
mishandler mig uden barmhjertighed.
4Hvis jeg har gjort noget forkert,
så er det mit problem og ikke jeres.
5I mener, at I er bedre end mig,
og at mine lidelser er straf for min synd.
6Forstår I ikke, at Gud gør mig uret
ved at sende disse ulykker over mig?
7Jeg råber om hjælp, men får intet svar.
Jeg skriger højt, men ingen griber ind.
8Gud har spærret vejen for mig,
han har indhyllet mit liv i mørke.
9Han har berøvet mig min ære,
ødelagt mit gode omdømme.
10Han angreb mig fra alle sider, så jeg faldt.
Han har taget ethvert håb fra mig.
11Hans vrede blussede op imod mig,
han behandlede mig som en fjende.
12Han sender en hær af ulykker imod mig,
de omringer mit hus og falder over mig.
13Mine slægtninge har slået hånden af mig,
mine bekendte vil ikke kendes ved mig.
14Min familie har vendt mig ryggen,
mine nærmeste venner ignorerer mig.
15Mine gæster ser på mig som en fremmed,
mine tjenestepiger gør intet for mig.
16Min tjener kommer ikke, når jeg kalder,
ikke engang når jeg trygler ham om hjælp.
17Min kone føler afsky ved min ånde,
mine brødre kan ikke udholde stanken.
18Selv børnene regner mig ikke for noget.
Når jeg rejser mig op, håner de mig.
19Mine bedste venner viser mig afsky,
de, jeg holder mest af, har vendt mig ryggen.
20Jeg er ikke andet end skind og ben,
med nød og næppe undgik jeg døden.
21Vis dog lidt barmhjertighed, venner!
Hav medlidenhed, for Guds vrede har ramt mig.
22Hvorfor vil I straffe mig, som Gud gør?
Har jeg ikke lidt tilstrækkeligt allerede?
23Ak, gid mine ord blev skrevet ned,
gid nogen ville optegne dem i en bog.
24Gid nogen ville mejsle dem i sten,
indridse dem i en klippe for evigt.
25Men jeg ved, at der er en, som vil befri mig,
engang skal han stå frem på jorden.
26Jeg ved, at selv om min krop går til grunde,
får jeg mulighed for bagefter at se Gud.
27Jeg skal se ham med mine egne øjne.
Jeg kan næsten ikke rumme den tanke.
28Hvor vover I da at anklage mig
og påstå, at min lidelse er en velfortjent straf?
29Pas på, at I ikke selv bliver straffet,
bliver ramt af Guds vrede og dom.”
