Prædikeren 7
1 Bedre er et godt Navn end en god Salve og Dødens Dag end ens Fødselsdag.
A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the 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 the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
3 Græmmelse er bedre end Latter; thi, naar Ansigtet ser ilde ud, kan Hjertet have det godt.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
4 De vises Hjerte er i Sorrigs Hus; men Daarernes Hjerte er i Glædes Hus.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Det er bedre at høre Skænd af den vise, end at man hører Sang af Daarer.
[It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Thi som Tjørne sprage under Gryden, saa er Daarers Latter; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed.
As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
7 Thi Fortrykkelse kan gøre en viis gal, og Gave kan fordærve et Hjerte.
for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
8 Enden paa en Ting er bedre end Begyndelsen derpaa; bedre langmodig end hovmodig.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at fortørnes; thi Fortørnelse hviler i Daarers Barm.
Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
10 Sig ikke: Hvoraf kom det, at de forrige Dage vare bedre end disse? thi du spørger ikke om saadant af Visdom.
Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for you do not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
11 Visdom er god som et Arvegods, ja bedre for dem, som skue Solen;
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that 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 wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
13 Se Guds Gerning; thi hvo kan gøre det lige, som han gør kroget?
Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
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 the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after 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 have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig, og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest you be confounded.
17 Vær ikke alt for uretfærdig, og vær ikke en Daare; hvorfor skulde du dø i Utide?
Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest you should 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 well for you to hold fast by this; also by this defile not your hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
19 Visdom styrker en viis mere end ti vældige, som ere i en Stad.
Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 Thi der er ikke et Menneske retfærdigt paa Jorden, som gør godt og ikke synder.
For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
21 Læg ikke heller paa dit Hjerte alle de Ord, som man siger, at du ikke skal høre din Tjener forbande dig.
Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 Thi dit Hjerte ved ogsaa de mange Gange, da du selv har forbandet andre.
For many times he shall trespass against you, and repeatedly shall he afflict your heart; for thus also have you cursed others.
23 Alt det har jeg forsøgt med Visdommen; jeg sagde: Jeg vil opnaa Visdom, men den forblev langt fra mig.
All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Det, som er til, er langt borte og dybt, dybt! hvo kan finde det?
[That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
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 and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
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 find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 Se, dette har jeg fundet, sagde Prædikeren, det ene efter det andet, idet jeg vilde finde Fornuftighed,
Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
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 sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
29 Dog se, dette har jeg fundet, at Gud skabte Mennesket ret; men de søge mange Spidsfindigheder.
But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
