19 Then Job answered and said,

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

12 His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15 They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

18 Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

28 But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

Jobs svar på Bildads andra tal

19 Då tog Job till orda och sade:

Hur länge ska ni plåga min själ
    och krossa mig med ord?
(A) Tio gånger har ni hånat mig
    och kränkt mig utan att rodna.
Om jag verkligen har gått vilse,
    då är förvillelsen min egen sak.
Även om ni förhäver er mot mig
    och använder min förnedring
        emot mig,
så ska ni veta
    att Gud har gjort mig orätt
        och spänt sitt nät omkring mig.

(B) Jag ropar mot våldet
        men får inget svar,
    jag ropar men där finns ingen
        rättfärdighet.
(C) Han har spärrat min väg
        så att jag inte kommer fram,
    över mina stigar lägger han mörker.
Han har klätt av mig min ära
    och tagit kronan från mitt huvud.
10 Han bryter ner mig från alla sidor
        tills jag går under.
    Han rycker upp mitt hopp
        som ett träd.
11 (D) Han har tänt sin vredes eld
        mot mig
    och räknar mig som sin fiende.
12 Hans skaror samlas
    och förbereder sitt anfall mot mig,
        de slår läger runt mitt tält.

13 (E) Han har drivit bort
        mina bröder från mig,
    alla jag känner
        är som främlingar för mig.
14 Mina närmaste har gett sig av,
    mina vänner har glömt mig.
15 Min familj och mina tjänarinnor
        ser mig som en främling,
    en främmande är jag i deras ögon.
16 Om jag kallar på min tjänare
        svarar han inte,
    jag måste vädja
        till honom ödmjukt.
17 Min andedräkt är vidrig
        för min hustru,
    jag äcklar min egen familj.[a]
18 (F) Även små barn föraktar mig,
    så snart jag reser mig
        hånar de mig.
19 (G) För alla mina vänner
        är jag avskyvärd,
    de jag älskade
        har vänt mig ryggen.
20 (H) Mina ben tränger ut
        genom hud och kött,
    jag har bara tandköttet kvar.

21 (I) Var barmhärtiga, ni mina vänner,
        var barmhärtiga mot mig,
    för Guds hand har slagit mig.
22 Varför förföljer ni mig
        som Gud gör?
    Blir ni aldrig mätta av mitt kött?
23 O, att mina ord skulle skrivas ner,
    att de skulle nertecknas i en bok
24 och för evigt ristas in i klippan
    med järnstift och bly![b]
25 (J) Men jag vet att min återlösare lever[c],
    att han till sist ska träda fram
        över stoftet.
26 (K) När sedan min sargade hud
        är borta,
    ska jag i mitt kött skåda Gud.
27 (L) Jag själv ska få skåda honom,
        jag ska se honom
    med egna ögon,
        inte med någon annans.
    Därefter längtar jag i mitt innersta.

28 Men ni säger:
        ”Hur ska vi förfölja honom?”
    Roten till olyckan
        har ni funnit hos mig[d].
29 (M) Var rädda för svärdet,
    för vrede hör till synder
        som straffas med svärd.
    Därför ska ni veta
        att det kommer en dom.

Footnotes

  1. 19:17 min egen familj   Ordagrant: ”min mages barn”. Syftar troligen på Jobs syskon, de som är födda ur samma moderliv som han själv, eftersom hans egna barn var döda (1:19).
  2. 19:24 bly   Användes för att fylla i en inskrift i sten.
  3. 19:25 min återlösare lever   Troligen profetia om Kristus (jfr 1 Kor 15).
  4. 19:28 har ni funnit hos mig   Andra handskrifter (så Septuaginta): ”finns hos honom”.

Job Replies: My Redeemer Lives

19 Then Job answered and said:

“How long will you torment me
    and break me in pieces with words?
These (A)ten times you have cast reproach upon me;
    are you not ashamed to wrong me?
And even if it be true that I have erred,
    my error remains with myself.
If indeed you (B)magnify yourselves against me
    and make my disgrace an argument against me,
know then that God has (C)put me in the wrong
    and closed his net about me.
Behold, I (D)cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered;
    I call for help, but there is no justice.
He has (E)walled up my way, so that I cannot pass,
    and he has set darkness upon my paths.
He has (F)stripped from me my glory
    and taken the (G)crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side, and I (H)am gone,
    and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.
11 He has kindled his wrath against me
    and (I)counts me as his adversary.
12 His (J)troops come on together;
    they have (K)cast up their siege ramp[a] against me
    and encamp around my tent.

13 “He has put my (L)brothers far from me,
    and (M)those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.
14 My relatives (N)have failed me,
    my close (O)friends have forgotten me.
15 The guests (P)in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger;
    I have become a foreigner in their eyes.
16 I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer;
    I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy.
17 My breath is strange to my (Q)wife,
    and I am a stench to the children of (R)my own mother.
18 Even young (S)children despise me;
    when I rise they talk against me.
19 All my (T)intimate friends abhor me,
    and those whom I loved have turned against me.
20 My (U)bones stick to my skin and to my flesh,
    and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,
    for the hand of God has (V)touched me!
22 Why do you, like God, (W)pursue me?
    Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

23 “Oh that my words were written!
    Oh that they were (X)inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron (Y)pen and lead
    they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I (Z)know that my (AA)Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the (AB)earth.[b]
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in[c] my flesh I shall (AC)see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not (AD)another.
    My heart (AE)faints within me!
28 If you say, ‘How we will (AF)pursue him!’
    and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’[d]
29 be afraid of the sword,
    for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
    that you may know there is (AG)a judgment.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:12 Hebrew their way
  2. Job 19:25 Hebrew dust
  3. Job 19:26 Or without
  4. Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts in me