Prædikeren 10
1 Døde Fluer bringe Salvekogerens Salve til at stinke og gære; saaledes kan en liden Daarskab veje mere end Visdom og Ære.
Dead flies cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
2 Den vises Hjerte er ved hans højre Side; men Daarens Hjerte er ved hans venstre Side.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 Ogsaa naar Daaren vandrer paa Vejen, fattes han Forstand, og han siger om enhver, at han er en Daare.
And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he has said to everyone, “He [is] a fool.”
4 Dersom Herskerens Vrede rejser sig imod dig, da forlad ikke din Plads; thi Sagtmodighed standser store Synder.
If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
5 Der er et Onde, som jeg saa under Solen, ret som det var en Fejl, der udgaar fra Herskerens Ansigt:
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
6 Daarskaben er sat paa de store Højder, men de rige sidde lavt.
He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
7 Jeg saa Tjenere paa Heste og Fyrster gaa til Fods som Tjenere, paa Jorden.
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Den som graver en Grav, skal falde i den; og den som nedriver et Gærde, ham skal en Slange bide.
Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
9 Hvo som bryder Stene op, skal faa Smerte af dem; hvo som kløver Træ, skal komme i Fare derved.
Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10 Naar Jernet bliver sløvt, og man ikke skærper Æggen, da maa man siden anstrenge Kræfterne; men Visdom er nyttig til at gøre en Ting rettelig.
If the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 Dersom Slangen bider, gavner Besværgelse intet, og Tungens Ejermand har ingen Fordel.
If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 Ordene af den vises Mund ere yndige; men Daarens Læber opsluge ham selv.
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 Hans Munds Ords Begyndelse er Daarskab; og det sidste af hans Mund er fordærvelig Galskab.
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14 Og en Daare gør mange Ord; Mennesket kan ikke vide, hvad der skal ske; og hvo kan forkynde ham, hvad der skal ske efter ham.
And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
15 Daarens Arbejde gør ham træt, efterdi han ikke kender Vej til By.
The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
16 Ve dig, du Land! hvis Konge er et Barn, og hvis Fyrster æde om Morgenen.
Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
17 Lykkeligt er du, Land! hvis Konge er født af de ypperste, og hvis Fyrster æde i rette Tid til Styrke og ikke til Drukkenskab.
Blessed are you, O land, When your king [is] a son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 Ved Ladhed synke Bjælkerne, og ved Hændernes Slaphed drypper det ned i Huset.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
19 Man gør Maaltid for at le, og Vinen glæder de levende, og Penge gøre alting ud.
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
20 Band ikke Kongen, end ikke i din Tanke, og band ikke en rig i dit inderste Sengekammer; thi en Fugl under Himmelen kan føre Røsten frem, og den bevingede bringer Ordet ud.
Even in your mind do not revile a king, And in the inner parts of your bed-chamber do not revile the rich: For a bird of the heavens causes the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declares the word.
