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.
Look well to thy feet, when thou goest to the house of God, and draw nigh to hear, rather than to offer sacrifice as fools. For they consider not that 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!
Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be swift to utter any thing before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.
3 Thi hvor der er megen Møje, komme Drømme; og hvor der er mange Ord, der hører man Daarens Røst.
For a dream cometh with much bustle, and a fool's voice with a multitude 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 thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Det er bedre, at du intet lover, end at du lover og ikke betaler.
Better is it that thou shouldst not vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
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?
Suffer not thy mouth to bring punishment on thy flesh, and say not before the angel, “It was a mistake.” Wherefore should God be angry on account of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 Thi hvor der er mange Drømme, der er Forfængelighed, og ligesaa, hvor der er mange Ord; men frygt Gud!
For in a multitude of dreams is a multitude of vanities; so also in a multitude of words; but fear thou 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 thou seest oppression of the poor, and justice and equity perverted in a province, be not alarmed at the matter. For over the high there is a higher, who watcheth, and there is one higher than they all.
9 og en Fordel for Jorden i det Hele er det, at der er en Konge over det dyrkede Land.
An advantage to a land in all respects is a king over cultivated ground.
10 Hvo der elsker Penge, kan ikke mættes af Penge, og hvo som elsker meget Gods, ikke af Indtægt; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; and he that loveth riches shall have no profit from them. This also 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?
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage hath the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with 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 a laboring man, whether he have eaten little or much; but the repletion of the rich will not suffer 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 sore evil which I have seen under the sun, — riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt.
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.
For those riches perish by some calamity, and, if he have a son, 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 forth from his mother's womb naked, so shall he go away again, as he came, and shall take away nothing of his labor which he may carry 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?
This is also a sore evil, that, in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit is there to him who toileth for wind?
17 Ja, alle sine Dage æder han sit Brød i Mørket, og han har megen Græmmelse tillige med sin Sygdom og Harme.
Also all his days he ate in darkness, and had much grief and anxiety and vexation.
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, what I have seen is, that it is good and proper for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor which he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth 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.
To whatever man also God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him to enjoy them, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the 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 will not much remember the days of his life; for God answereth him with the joy of his heart.
