Prædikeren 5
1 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.
Keep thy foot, when thou goest unto the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than dullards to offer sacrifice, —for they make no acknowledgment of doing wrong.
2 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.
Be not rash with thy mouth, and, with thy heart, be not in haste to bring forth a word, before God, —for, God, is in the heavens, and, thou, upon the earth, for this cause, let thy words be few.
3 Thi meget Slid giver Drømme, og mange Ord giver Dåretale.
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, —and, the voice of a dullard, is with a multitude of words.
4 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.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it, for there is no pleasure in dullards, —what thou vowest, pay!
5 Det er bedre, at du ikke lover, end at du lover uden at holde.
Better that thou shouldest not vow, —than vow, and not pay.
6 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?
Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, —neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake, —wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 Thi af mange Drømme og Ord kommer mange Skuffelser; nej, frygt Gud!
For [it was done] amidst a multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words, —but, towards God, be thou reverent.
8 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.
If, the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of justice and righteousness, thou see in the province, do not be astonished over the matter, —for, one high above the highest, is watching, yea, the Most High, is over them.
9 Dog, en Fordel for et Land er det i alt Fald, at der er en Konge over dyrket Jord.
And, the profit of the earth, is, for all, —a king, by the field, is served.
10 Den, der elsker Sølv, mættes aldrig af Sølv, og den, der elsker Rigdom, mættes aldrig af Vinding. Også det er Tomhed.
He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue, —even this, was vanity.
11 Jo mere Gods, des flere til at fortære det, og hvad Gavn har Ejeren da deraf, ud over at hans Øjne ser det?
When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof, —what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?
12 Sød er Arbejderens Søvn, hvad enten han har lidt eller meget at spise; men den riges Overflod giver ikke ham Lov til at sove.
Sweet the sleep of the labourer, whether, little or much, he eat, —but, the surfeit of the rich man, will not suffer him to sleep.
13 Der er et slemt Onde, som jeg så under Solen: Rigdom gemt hen af sin Ejermand til hans Ulykke;
Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;
14 går Rigdommen tabt ved et Uheld, og han har avlet en Søn, så bliver der intet til ham.
and those riches perish, by being ill employed, —and though he begetteth a son, yet is there in his hand nothing at all.
15 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.
As he came from his mother’s womb, naked, he again departeth, as he came, —and, nothing, can he take of his toil, which he can carry in his hand.
16 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?
Even this, moreover, is an incurable evil, altogether as he came, so, shall he depart, —what profit then shall he have who toileth for the wind?
17 Og dertil kommer et helt Liv i Mørke, Sorg og stor Kvide, Sygdom og Kummer.
Even all his days, [are spent] in darkness and mourning, —and he is very morose, and is sad and angry.
18 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;
Lo! what, I myself, have seen—Better that it should be excellent to eat and to drink and to see blessedness, in all one’s toil wherein one toileth under the sun, for the number of the days of his life, in that God hath given it him, for, that, is his portion:
19 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;
yet, as regardeth every man, to whom God hath given wealth and goods, and granted him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to find gladness in his toil, this, is, the gift of God.
20 thi da tænker han ikke stort på sine Levedage, idet Gud lader ham være optaget af sit Hjertes Glæde.
Though it be not much, let him remember the days of his life, —for, God, beareth witness, by the gladness of his heart.
