Prædikeren 7
1 Bedre er et godt Navn end en god Salve og Dødens Dag end ens Fødselsdag.
A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
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's better to go to a funeral than to a party. In the end, everyone dies, and those who are still alive should think about it.
3 Græmmelse er bedre end Latter; thi, naar Ansigtet ser ilde ud, kan Hjertet have det godt.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
4 De vises Hjerte er i Sorrigs Hus; men Daarernes Hjerte er i Glædes Hus.
Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
5 Det er bedre at høre Skænd af den vise, end at man hører Sang af Daarer.
It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
6 Thi som Tjørne sprage under Gryden, saa er Daarers Latter; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed.
The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
7 Thi Fortrykkelse kan gøre en viis gal, og Gave kan fordærve et Hjerte.
Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
8 Enden paa en Ting er bedre end Begyndelsen derpaa; bedre langmodig end hovmodig.
Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at fortørnes; thi Fortørnelse hviler i Daarers Barm.
Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
10 Sig ikke: Hvoraf kom det, at de forrige Dage vare bedre end disse? thi du spørger ikke om saadant af Visdom.
Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
11 Visdom er god som et Arvegods, ja bedre for dem, som skue Solen;
Wisdom is good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
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 wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
13 Se Guds Gerning; thi hvo kan gøre det lige, som han gør kroget?
Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
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.
On a good day, be happy. When a bad day comes, stop and think. God made each day, so you don't know what will happen to you next.
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.
Throughout my life I've seen so much that is hard to understand. Good people who die young despite doing what is right, and wicked people who live long evil lives.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig, og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Don't think you can make yourself right by a lot of religious observance, and don't pretend to be so wise. Do you want to destroy yourself?
17 Vær ikke alt for uretfærdig, og vær ikke en Daare; hvorfor skulde du dø i Utide?
On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why 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.
You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
19 Visdom styrker en viis mere end ti vældige, som ere i en Stad.
Wisdom gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
20 Thi der er ikke et Menneske retfærdigt paa Jorden, som gør godt og ikke synder.
There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
21 Læg ikke heller paa dit Hjerte alle de Ord, som man siger, at du ikke skal høre din Tjener forbande dig.
Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
22 Thi dit Hjerte ved ogsaa de mange Gange, da du selv har forbandet andre.
for you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
23 Alt det har jeg forsøgt med Visdommen; jeg sagde: Jeg vil opnaa Visdom, men den forblev langt fra mig.
I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
24 Det, som er til, er langt borte og dybt, dybt! hvo kan finde det?
Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
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 turned my thoughts to discover, investigate, and to find out more about wisdom and what makes sense. I wanted to know more about how stupid evil really is, and how ridiculous it is to be a fool.
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.
I discovered something more horrible than death: foolishness like a woman who tries to entrap you, who wants to use her mind and hands to catch you and tie you up. Those who follow God will not be caught, but sinners will fall into her trap.
27 Se, dette har jeg fundet, sagde Prædikeren, det ene efter det andet, idet jeg vilde finde Fornuftighed,
This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
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.
Although I really searched, I didn't find what I was looking for. People say, “I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman.”
29 Dog se, dette har jeg fundet, at Gud skabte Mennesket ret; men de søge mange Spidsfindigheder.
But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.
