Prædikeren 7
1 Bedre er et godt Navn end en god Salve og Dødens Dag end ens Fødselsdag.
A good name is better than fine perfume; 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; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to 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 face the heart is made good.
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 the rebuke of the wise 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.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Thi Fortrykkelse kan gøre en viis gal, og Gave kan fordærve et Hjerte.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Enden paa en Ting er bedre end Begyndelsen derpaa; bedre langmodig end hovmodig.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at fortørnes; thi Fortørnelse hviler i Daarers Barm.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests 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.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Visdom er god som et Arvegods, ja bedre for dem, som skue Solen;
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent 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 wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Se Guds Gerning; thi hvo kan gøre det lige, som han gør kroget?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which 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.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything 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.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig, og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Vær ikke alt for uretfærdig, og vær ikke en Daare; hvorfor skulde du dø i Utide?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be 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. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Visdom styrker en viis mere end ti vældige, som ere i en Stad.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Thi der er ikke et Menneske retfærdigt paa Jorden, som gør godt og ikke synder.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Læg ikke heller paa dit Hjerte alle de Ord, som man siger, at du ikke skal høre din Tjener forbande dig.
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 Thi dit Hjerte ved ogsaa de mange Gange, da du selv har forbandet andre.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Alt det har jeg forsøgt med Visdommen; jeg sagde: Jeg vil opnaa Visdom, men den forblev langt fra mig.
All this I have 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, is far off and exceedingly 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.
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness 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 find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Se, dette har jeg fundet, sagde Prædikeren, det ene efter det andet, idet jeg vilde finde Fornuftighed,
“Behold, I have found this,” says Kohelet, “to one another, to find an 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, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
29 Dog se, dette har jeg fundet, at Gud skabte Mennesket ret; men de søge mange Spidsfindigheder.
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
