Prædikeren 6
1 Der er en Ulykke, som jeg saa under Solen, og den er svar over Menneskene:
There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:
2 Naar der er en Mand, hvem Gud giver Rigdom og Gods og Ære, og han fattes intet for sin Sjæl af alt det, som han vil begære, og Gud giver ham ikke Magt til at æde deraf, men en fremmed Mand fortærer det: Da er dette Forfængelighed og en slem Lidelse.
A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.
3 Dersom en Mand avlede hundrede Børn og levede mange Aar, saa hans Aars Dage bleve mange, og hans Sjæl dog ikke mættedes af det gode, og han heller ingen Begravelse fik: Saa siger jeg, at et utidigt Foster er bedre faren end han.
If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.
4 Thi dette kom med Forfængelighed og gaar bort i Mørket, og dets Navn bliver skjult i Mørket.
For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.
5 Det hverken saa eller kendte Sol; det har mere Ro end han.
He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:
6 Ja, dersom han end levede tusinde Aar to Gange og ikke saa det gode, farer dog ikke enhver til et Sted?
Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?
7 Alt Menneskets Arbejde er for hans Mund; men Sjælen kan dog ikke fyldes.
All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.
8 Thi hvad Fortrin har den vise fremfor Daaren? hvad har den fattige, som forstaar at vandre for de levende?
What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?
9 Bedre er, hvad man ser for Øjnene, end Sjælens Begær; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed og Aandsfortærelse.
Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.
10 Hvad en er — hans Navn er allerede nævnt, og det er vitterligt, at han er et Menneske; og han kan ikke trætte med den, som er ham for mægtig.
He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.
11 Thi der er mange Ting, de foraarsage megen Forfængelighed; hvad Fordel har et Menneske deraf?
There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.
12 Thi hvo ved, hvad der er godt for Mennesket i dette Liv, i hans Forfængeligheds Livsdages Tal, hvilke han tilbringer som en Skygge? thi hvo vil kundgøre et Menneske, hvad der skal ske efter ham under Solen?
What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?
