Prædikeren 7
1 Godt Navn er bedre end ypperlig Salve, Dødsdag bedre end Fødselsdag;
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 bedre at gå til et Sørgehus end at gå til et Gildehus; thi hist er alle Menneskers Ende, og de levende bør tage det til Hjerte
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 Bedre Græmmelse end Latter, thi er Minerne mørke, har Hjertet det godt.
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 De vises Hjerte er i Sørgehuset. Tåbernes Hjerte i Glædeshuset.
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 Bedre at høre på Vismands Skænd end at høre på Tåbers Sang.
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 Som Tjørnekvistes Knitren under Gryden er Tåbers Latter; også det er Tomhed.
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 Thi uredelig Vinding gør Vismand til Dåre, og Stikpenge ødelægger Hjertet.
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 En Sags Udgang er bedre end dens Indgang, Tålmod er bedre end Hovmod.
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at græmmes, thi Græmmelse bor i Tåbers Bryst.
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 Spørg ikke: "Hvoraf kommer det, at de gamle Dage var bedre end vore?" Thi således spørger du ikke med Visdom.
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 Bedre er Visdom end Arv, en Fordel for dem, som skuer Solen;
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 thi Visdom skygger, som Penge skygger, men Kundskabs Fortrin er dette, at Visdom holder sin Mand i Live.
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 Se på Guds Værk! Hvo kan rette, hvad han har gjort kroget?
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 Vær ved godt Mod på den gode Dag og indse på den onde Dag, at Gud skabte denne såvel som hin, for at Mennesket ikke skal finde noget efter sig.
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 Begge Dele så jeg i mine tomme Dage: Der er retfærdige, som omkommer i deres Retfærdighed, og der er gudløse, som lever længe i deres Ondskab.
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 Vær ikke alt for gudløs og vær ingen Dåre; hvorfor vil du dø i Utide?
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 Det bedste er, at du fastholder det ene og ikke slipper det andet; thi den, der frygter Gud, vil undgå begge Farer.
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 Visdom gør Vismand stærkere end ti Magthavere i Byen.
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 Thi intet Menneske er så retfærdigt på Jorden, at han kun gør gode Gerninger og aldrig synder.
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 Giv ikke Agt på alle de Ord, Folk siger, at du ikke skal høre din Træl forbande dig;
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 thi du ved med dig selv, at også du mange Gange har forbandet andre.
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 Alt dette ransagede jeg med Visdom; jeg tænkte: "Jeg vil vorde viis." Men Visdom holdt sig langt fra mig;
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 Tingenes Grund er langt borte, så dyb, så dyb; hvem kan finde den?
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 Jeg tog mig for at vende min Hu til Kundskab og Granskning og til at søge efter Visdom og sikker Viden og til at kende, at Gudløshed er Tåbelighed, Dårskab Vanvid.
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 Og beskere end Døden fandt jeg Kvinden, thi hun er et Fangegarn; hendes Hjerfe er et Net og hendes Arme Lænker. Den, som er Gud kær, undslipper hende, men Synderen bliver hendes Fange.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 Se, det fandt jeg ud, sagde Prædikeren, ved at lægge det ene til det andet for at drage min Slutning.
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 Hvad min Sjæl stadig søgte, men ikke fandt, er dette: Een Mand fandt jeg blandt tusind, men en Kvinde fandt jeg ikke i hele Flokken.
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 Dog se, det fandt jeg, at Gud har skabt Menneskene, som de bør være; men de har så mange sære Ting for.
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
