Prædikeren 7
1 Bedre er et godt Navn end en god Salve og Dødens Dag end ens Fødselsdag.
A good name is better than costly perfume, and the day of death is better 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 a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
3 Græmmelse er bedre end Latter; thi, naar Ansigtet ser ilde ud, kan Hjertet have det godt.
Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.
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 feasting.
5 Det er bedre at høre Skænd af den vise, end at man hører Sang af Daarer.
It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to the song of fools.
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 also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
7 Thi Fortrykkelse kan gøre en viis gal, og Gave kan fordærve et Hjerte.
Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Enden paa en Ting er bedre end Begyndelsen derpaa; bedre langmodig end hovmodig.
Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at fortørnes; thi Fortørnelse hviler i Daarers Barm.
Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts of fools.
10 Sig ikke: Hvoraf kom det, at de forrige Dage vare bedre end disse? thi du spørger ikke om saadant af Visdom.
Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
11 Visdom er god som et Arvegods, ja bedre for dem, som skue Solen;
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits 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 wisdom provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
13 Se Guds Gerning; thi hvo kan gøre det lige, som han gør kroget?
Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he 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.
When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming 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 many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig, og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Vær ikke alt for uretfærdig, og vær ikke en Daare; hvorfor skulde du dø i Utide?
Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should 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 that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
19 Visdom styrker en viis mere end ti vældige, som ere i en Stad.
Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
20 Thi der er ikke et Menneske retfærdigt paa Jorden, som gør godt og ikke synder.
There is not a righteous man on earth who does good 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.
Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
22 Thi dit Hjerte ved ogsaa de mange Gange, da du selv har forbandet andre.
Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often 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 proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
24 Det, som er til, er langt borte og dybt, dybt! hvo kan finde det?
Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find 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 heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is 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.
I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
27 Se, dette har jeg fundet, sagde Prædikeren, det ene efter det andet, idet jeg vilde finde Fornuftighed,
“Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
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.
This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.
29 Dog se, dette har jeg fundet, at Gud skabte Mennesket ret; men de søge mange Spidsfindigheder.
I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
