< Prædikeren 5 >
1 Forvar din Fod, naar du vil gaa til Guds Hus, og vær nær for at høre; dette er bedre, end naar Daarerne yde Slagtoffer; thi de vide ikke, at de gøre ondt.
Keep your feet when you go to a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil.
2 Vær ikke snar med din Mund, og lad dit Hjerte ikke haste med at fremføre et Ord for Guds Ansigt; thi Gud er i Himmelen og du paa Jorden, derfor lad dine Ord være faa!
Do not cause your mouth to hurry, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and you on the earth, therefore let your words be few.
3 Thi hvor der er megen Møje, komme Drømme; og hvor der er mange Ord, der hører man Daarens Røst.
For the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.
4 Naar du lover Gud et Løfte, tøv ikke med at betale det; thi han har ikke Velbehag til Daarer; hvad du lover, det betal!
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which you vow—complete.
5 Det er bedre, at du intet lover, end at du lover og ikke betaler.
Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.
6 Tilsted ikke din Mund at bringe Synd over dit Kød, og sig ikke for Engelens Ansigt, at det var en Overilelse; hvi skulde Gud fortørnes for din Røst og fordærve dine Hænders Gerning?
Do not permit your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger that it [is] ignorance. Why is God angry because of your voice and has destroyed the work of your hands?
7 Thi hvor der er mange Drømme, der er Forfængelighed, og ligesaa, hvor der er mange Ord; men frygt Gud!
For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear God.
8 Dersom du ser, at en fattig fortrykkes, og at Ret og Retfærdighed krænkes i Landskabet, da forundre dig ikke over den Idræt; thi en Høj er Vogter over en Høj, og den Højeste over dem begge;
If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness you see in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.
9 og en Fordel for Jorden i det Hele er det, at der er en Konge over det dyrkede Land.
And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
10 Hvo der elsker Penge, kan ikke mættes af Penge, og hvo som elsker meget Gods, ikke af Indtægt; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed.
Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.
11 Hvor Godset bliver meget, bliver der mange, som fortære det; hvad Fordel er der da for dem, som eje det, uden det, at deres Øjne se derpaa?
In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?
12 Hvo der arbejder, ham er Søvnen sød, hvad heller han æder lidet eller meget; men den riges Mættelse tillader ham ej at sove.
Sweet [is] the sleep of the laborer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not permitting him to sleep.
13 Der er et slemt Onde, som jeg saa under Solen, at Rigdom bevares af sin Herre til hans egen Ulykke;
There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
14 og at denne Rigdom gaar til Grunde ved en uheldig Stræben, saa at, om han avlede en Søn, der ikke bliver noget i hans Haand.
And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!
15 Ligesom han udgik af sin Moders Liv, saa skal han atter nøgen gaa bort, som han kom; og han skal, trods sit Arbejde, ikke tage noget, som han kan føre i sin Haand.
As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turns back to go as he came, and he does not take away anything of his labor, that goes in his hand.
16 Ogsaa dette er et slemt Onde, at han i alle Maader skal gaa bort, saaledes som han kom; hvad Fordel har han da deraf, at han har arbejdet hen i Vejret?
And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?
17 Ja, alle sine Dage æder han sit Brød i Mørket, og han har megen Græmmelse tillige med sin Sygdom og Harme.
He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
18 Se her, hvad jeg har set: At det er godt og smukt at æde og drikke og at se godt af alt sit Arbejde, som man arbejder med under Solen i alle sine Levedage, som Gud har givet en; thi det er hans Del;
Behold, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor that he labors at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God has given to him, for it [is] his portion.
19 og naar der er et Menneske, som Gud har givet Rigdom og Gods og givet ham Magt at æde deraf og at modtage sin Del og at glæde sig i sit Arbejde: Da er dette en Guds Gave.
Every man also to whom God has given wealth and riches, and has given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labor, this is a gift of God.
20 Thi han vil ikke tænke meget paa sit Livs Dage, efterdi Gud bønhører ham, i hvad der er hans Hjertes Glæde.
For he does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.