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 oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's 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 house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
3 Græmmelse er bedre end Latter; thi, naar Ansigtet ser ilde ud, kan Hjertet have det godt.
Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is 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 joy.
5 Det er bedre at høre Skænd af den vise, end at man hører Sang af Daarer.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
6 Thi som Tjørne sprage under Gryden, saa er Daarers Latter; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
7 Thi Fortrykkelse kan gøre en viis gal, og Gave kan fordærve et Hjerte.
For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
8 Enden paa en Ting er bedre end Begyndelsen derpaa; bedre langmodig end hovmodig.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at fortørnes; thi Fortørnelse hviler i Daarers Barm.
Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in 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.
Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
11 Visdom er god som et Arvegods, ja bedre for dem, som skue Solen;
Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those 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 under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
13 Se Guds Gerning; thi hvo kan gøre det lige, som han gør kroget?
Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath 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.
On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure 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.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig, og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Vær ikke alt for uretfærdig, og vær ikke en Daare; hvorfor skulde du dø i Utide?
Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy 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 that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
19 Visdom styrker en viis mere end ti vældige, som ere i en Stad.
Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
20 Thi der er ikke et Menneske retfærdigt paa Jorden, som gør godt og ikke synder.
For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never 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 unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 Thi dit Hjerte ved ogsaa de mange Gange, da du selv har forbandet andre.
For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—
23 Alt det har jeg forsøgt med Visdommen; jeg sagde: Jeg vil opnaa Visdom, men den forblev langt fra mig.
All this have I proved by 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?
Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can 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.
Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
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 as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will 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, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
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.
What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
29 Dog se, dette har jeg fundet, at Gud skabte Mennesket ret; men de søge mange Spidsfindigheder.
Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
