Prædikeren 9

1 Thi alt dette har jeg lagt mig paa Hjerte, og det for at udgrunde det alt sammen, at de retfærdige og de vise og deres Gerninger ere i Guds Haand; om det er Kærlighed eller Had, ved intet Menneske; alt ligger for deres Ansigt.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.

2 Alt er ens for alle; det samme hændes den retfærdige og den ugudelige, den gode og den rene og den urene, og den, som ofrer, og den, der ikke ofrer; som den gode, saa gaar det Synderen, den, som sværger, gaar det som den, der frygter for Ed.

All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

3 Ondt iblandt alt det, som sker under Solen, er dette: At det samme hændes alle; og tillige er Menneskens Børns Hjerte fuldt af Ondskab, og der er Daarskaber i deres Hjerte, saa længe de leve, og derefter fare de til de døde.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 Thi hvo er den, som kan undtages? om alle dem, som leve, er der Haab; thi en levende Hund er bedre end en Løve, som er død;

For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 thi de levende vide, at de skulle dø; men de døde vide ikke noget, og de have ingen Løn ydermere; men deres Ihukommelse er glemt.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

6 Baade deres Kærlighed og deres Had og deres Avind er forlængst forsvunden, og de have i al Evighed ingen Del ydermere i alt det, som sker under Solen.

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

7 Gak hen, æd dit Brød med Glæde og drik din Vin med et godt Mod; thi Gud har forlængst Behag i dine Gerninger.

Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

8 Lad dine Klæder altid være hvide, og lad Olie ikke fattes paa dit Hoved!

Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

9 Nyd Livet med en Hustru, som du elsker, alle dine Forfængeligheds Levedage, som Gud har givet dig under Solen, alle dine Forfængeligheds Dage; thi det er din Del af Livet og af dit Arbejde, som du arbejder med under Solen.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

10 Alt hvad din Haand formaar at gøre med din Kraft, gør det; thi der er hverken Gerning eller Tanke eller Kundskab eller Visdom i Dødsriget, hvor du farer hen. (Sheol h7585)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)

11 Jeg vendte tilbage og saa under Solen, at Løbet ikke er i de lettes Magt, og Krigen ikke i de vældiges, og ej heller Brødet i de vises, og ej heller Rigdommen i de forstandiges, og ej heller Gunst i de kløgtiges; thi Tid og Hændelse ramme dem alle.

I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

12 Thi Mennesket ved heller ikke sin Tid, saa lidt som Fiskene, der fanges i det slemme Garn, og saa lidt som Fuglene, der fanges i Snaren; som disse, saa blive Menneskens Børn besnærede til Ulykkens Tid, eftersom den falder hastelig over dem.

For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

13 Ogsaa dette saa jeg som Visdom under Solen, og den syntes mig stor:

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

14 Der var en liden Stad og faa Folk i den; og der kom en mægtig Konge imod den og omringede den og byggede store Belejringsværker om den;

There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

15 og han fandt derudi en fattig, viis Mand, og denne reddede Staden ved sin Visdom; men intet Menneske kom denne fattige Mand i Hu.

Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Da sagde jeg: Visdom er bedre end Styrke; men den fattiges Visdom er foragtet, og hans Ord blive ikke hørte.

Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 De vises Ord, hørte i Ro, ere bedre end Herskerens Skrig iblandt Daarer.

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.

18 Bedre er Visdom end Stridsvaaben; og een Synder kan fordærve meget godt.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.