Prædikeren 6
1 Der er en Ulykke, som jeg saa under Solen, og den er svar over Menneskene:
I have seen something [else here] on this earth that troubles people.
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.
God enables some people to get a lot of money and possessions and to be honored; they have everything [LIT] that they want. But God [sometimes] does not allow them to continue to enjoy those things. Someone else gets them and enjoys them. That seems senseless and unfair.
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.
Someone might have 100 children and live for many years. But if he is not able to enjoy the things that he has acquired, and if he is not buried [properly after he dies], [I say that] a child that is dead when it is born is more fortunate.
4 Thi dette kom med Forfængelighed og gaar bort i Mørket, og dets Navn bliver skjult i Mørket.
That dead baby’s birth is meaningless; it does not even have a name. It goes directly to the place where there is only darkness.
5 Det hverken saa eller kendte Sol; det har mere Ro end han.
It does not [live to] see the sun or know anything. But it finds more rest than rich people do [who are alive].
6 Ja, dersom han end levede tusinde Aar to Gange og ikke saa det gode, farer dog ikke enhver til et Sted?
Even if people could live for 2,000 years, if they do not enjoy the things that God gives to them, [it would have been better for them never to have been born]. [All people who live a long time] certainly [RHQ] all go to the same place— [to the grave].
7 Alt Menneskets Arbejde er for hans Mund; men Sjælen kan dog ikke fyldes.
People work hard to [earn enough money to buy] food to eat [MTY], but [often] they never get enough to eat.
8 Thi hvad Fortrin har den vise fremfor Daaren? hvad har den fattige, som forstaar at vandre for de levende?
So it seems that [RHQ] wise people do not receive more lasting benefits than foolish people do. And it seems that [RHQ] poor people do not benefit from knowing how to conduct their lives.
9 Bedre er, hvad man ser for Øjnene, end Sjælens Begær; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed og Aandsfortærelse.
It is better to enjoy the things that we already have [MTY] than to constantly want more things; continually wanting more things is [senseless], [like] the wind.
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.
All the things that exist [on the earth] have been given names. And everyone knows what people are like, [so] it is useless to argue with someone (OR, with God) who is stronger than we are.
11 Thi der er mange Ting, de foraarsage megen Forfængelighed; hvad Fordel har et Menneske deraf?
The more [that we] talk, the more [often we say things that are] senseless, so it certainly does not [RHQ] benefit us to talk a lot.
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?
We live for only a short time; we disappear like [SIM] a shadow disappears [in the sunlight]. No one [RHQ] knows what is best for us while we are alive, and no one [RHQ] knows what will happen to us after we die [EUP].
