Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not understand that they are doing what is wrong.
Va'r din fod, når du går til Guds Hus! At komme for at høre er bedre, end at Dårer bringer Slagtoffer, thi de har ikke Forstand til andet end at gøre ondt.
2 Do not be too quick to speak with your mouth, and do not let your heart be too quick to bring any matter up before God. God is in heaven, but you are on earth, so let your words be few.
Lad ikke din Mund løbe eller dit Hjerte haste med at udtale et Ord for Guds Åsyn; thi Gud er i Himmelen og du på Jorden, derfor skal dine Ord være få.
3 If you have too many things to do and worry about, you will probably have bad dreams. The more words you speak, the more foolish things you will probably say.
Thi meget Slid giver Drømme, og mange Ord giver Dåretale.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to do it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Do what you vow you will do.
Når du giver Gud et Løfte, så tøv ikke med at holde det! Thi der er ingen Glæde ved Dårer. Hvad du lover, skal du holde.
5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one that you do not carry out.
Det er bedre, at du ikke lover, end at du lover uden at holde.
6 Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin. Do not say to the priest's messenger, “That vow was a mistake.” Why make God angry by vowing falsely, provoking God to destroy the work of your hands?
Lad ikke din Mund bringe Skyld over dit Legeme og sig ikke til Guds Sendebud, at det var af Vanvare! Hvorfor skal Gud vredes over din Tale og nedbryde dine Hænders Værk?
7 For in many dreams, as in many words, there is meaningless vapor. So fear God.
Thi af mange Drømme og Ord kommer mange Skuffelser; nej, frygt Gud!
8 When you see the poor being oppressed and robbed of just and right treatment in your province, do not be astonished as if no one knows, because there are people in power who watch those under them, and there are even higher ones over them.
Når du ser den fattige undertrykt og Lov og Ret krænket på din Egn, så undre dig ikke over den Ting; thi på den høje vogter en højere, og andre endnu højere vogter på dem begge.
9 In addition, the produce of the land is for everyone, and the king himself takes produce from the fields.
Dog, en Fordel for et Land er det i alt Fald, at der er en Konge over dyrket Jord.
10 Anyone who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and anyone who loves wealth always wants more. This, too, is vapor.
Den, der elsker Sølv, mættes aldrig af Sølv, og den, der elsker Rigdom, mættes aldrig af Vinding. Også det er Tomhed.
11 As prosperity increases, so also do the people who consume it. What advantage in wealth is there to the owner except to watch it with his eyes?
Jo mere Gods, des flere til at fortære det, og hvad Gavn har Ejeren da deraf, ud over at hans Øjne ser det?
12 The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or a lot, but the wealth of a rich person does not allow him to sleep well.
Sød er Arbejderens Søvn, hvad enten han har lidt eller meget at spise; men den riges Overflod giver ikke ham Lov til at sove.
13 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun: riches hoarded by the owner, resulting in his own misery.
Der er et slemt Onde, som jeg så under Solen: Rigdom gemt hen af sin Ejermand til hans Ulykke;
14 When the rich man loses his wealth through bad luck, his own son, one whom he has fathered, is left with nothing in his hands.
går Rigdommen tabt ved et Uheld, og han har avlet en Søn, så bliver der intet til ham.
15 As a man comes from his mother's womb, so also he will leave naked. He can take none of the fruits of his labor in his hand.
Som han udgik af sin Moders Liv, skal han atter gå bort, lige så nøgen som han kom, og ved sin Flid vinder han intet, han kan tage med sig.
16 Another evil is that as a person comes, so he goes away. So what profit is there for him who works for the wind?
Også det er et slemt Onde: ganske som han kom, går han bort, og hvad Vinding har han så af, at han gør sig Flid hen i Vejret?
17 During his days he eats with darkness and is greatly distressed with sickness and anger.
Og dertil kommer et helt Liv i Mørke, Sorg og stor Kvide, Sygdom og Kummer.
18 Look, what I have seen to be good and suitable is to eat and drink and to enjoy the gain from all our work, as we labor under the sun during the days of this life that God has given us. For this is man's assignment.
Se, hvad der efter mit Skøn er godt og smukt, det er at spise og drikke og nyde det gode under al den Flid, man gør sig under Solen, alle de Levedage Gud giver en; thi det er den Del, man har;
19 Anyone to whom God has given riches and wealth and the ability to receive his share and rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God.
og hver Gang Gud giver et Menneske Rigdom og Gods og sætter ham i Stand til at nyde det, og tage sin Del og glæde sig under sin Flid, da er det en Guds Gave;
20 For he does not call to mind very often the days of his life, because God makes him keep busy with the things that he enjoys doing.
thi da tænker han ikke stort på sine Levedage, idet Gud lader ham være optaget af sit Hjertes Glæde.
