Prædikeren 7
1 Bedre er et godt Navn end en god Salve og Dødens Dag end ens Fødselsdag.
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 Det er bedre at gaa til Sørgehuset end at gaa til Gæstebudshuset, fordi hint er hvert Menneskes Endeligt; og den levende skal lægge sig det paa Hjerte.
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 Græmmelse er bedre end Latter; thi, naar Ansigtet ser ilde ud, kan Hjertet have det godt.
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 De vises Hjerte er i Sorrigs Hus; men Daarernes Hjerte er i Glædes Hus.
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 Det er bedre at høre Skænd af den vise, end at man hører Sang af Daarer.
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 Thi som Tjørne sprage under Gryden, saa er Daarers Latter; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed.
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 Thi Fortrykkelse kan gøre en viis gal, og Gave kan fordærve et Hjerte.
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 Enden paa en Ting er bedre end Begyndelsen derpaa; bedre langmodig end hovmodig.
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at fortørnes; thi Fortørnelse hviler i Daarers Barm.
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 Sig ikke: Hvoraf kom det, at de forrige Dage vare bedre end disse? thi du spørger ikke om saadant af Visdom.
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 Visdom er god som et Arvegods, ja bedre for dem, som skue Solen;
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 thi at være under Visdoms Skygge, er at være under Penges Skygge; og Kundskabs Fortrin er: At Visdommen giver dem Livet, som eje den.
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 Se Guds Gerning; thi hvo kan gøre det lige, som han gør kroget?
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 Vær ved et godt Mod paa en god Dag, men betænk paa en ond Dag, at Gud har gjort denne ved Siden af den anden, for at Mennesket ikke skal finde noget, som skal ske efter ham.
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 Alt det har jeg set i min Forfængeligheds Dage: Der er en retfærdig, som omkommer i sin Retfærdighed, og der er en ugudelig, som lever længe i sin Ondskab.
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig, og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 Vær ikke alt for uretfærdig, og vær ikke en Daare; hvorfor skulde du dø i Utide?
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 Det er godt, at du holder fast ved det ene, men du skal og ikke lade din Haand af fra det andet; thi den, som frygter Gud, undgaar det alt.
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 Visdom styrker en viis mere end ti vældige, som ere i en Stad.
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 Thi der er ikke et Menneske retfærdigt paa Jorden, som gør godt og ikke synder.
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 Læg ikke heller paa dit Hjerte alle de Ord, som man siger, at du ikke skal høre din Tjener forbande dig.
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 Thi dit Hjerte ved ogsaa de mange Gange, da du selv har forbandet andre.
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 Alt det har jeg forsøgt med Visdommen; jeg sagde: Jeg vil opnaa Visdom, men den forblev langt fra mig.
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 Det, som er til, er langt borte og dybt, dybt! hvo kan finde det?
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 Jeg vendte mig om med mit Hjerte, for at forstaa og at udgranske og at søge Visdom og Fornuftighed og for at forstaa, at Ugudelighed er Daarskab, og at Daarskab er Vanvid.
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 Og jeg fandt, hvad der var beskere end Døden: Den Kvinde, hvis Hjerte var Snarer og Garn, og hvis Hænder vare Baand; den, som er velbehagelig for Guds Ansigt, skal undkomme fra hende, men en Synder skal fanges ved hende.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 Se, dette har jeg fundet, sagde Prædikeren, det ene efter det andet, idet jeg vilde finde Fornuftighed,
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 hvilken min Sjæl endnu søger, men jeg ikke har fundet; iblandt tusinde fandt jeg een Mand, men fandt ikke en Kvinde iblandt dem alle.
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 Dog se, dette har jeg fundet, at Gud skabte Mennesket ret; men de søge mange Spidsfindigheder.
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
