Prædikeren 12
1 Tænk Paa din Skaber i Ungdommens Dage, førend de onde Dage kommer og Aarene nærmer sig, om hvilke du vil sige: »I dem har jeg ikke Behag!«
While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
2 før Sol og Lys og Maane og Stjerner hylles i Mørke og der atter kommer Skyer efter Regn,
[When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
3 Tiden, da Husets Vogtere bæver, de stærke Mænd bliver krumme, da Møllepigerne svigter, fordi de er faa, og de bliver mørke, som kigger ved Gluggerne,
Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
4 da begge Gadedørene lukkes, mens Møllen gaar med dæmpet Lyd, da man staar op ved Spurvenes Kvidder og alle Sangens Døtre hvisker,
Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
5 da man ogsaa ængstes for Bakker, og Rædsler lurer paa Vejen, da Mandeltræet blomstrer; Græshoppen slappes og Kapersbærret svigter, nu Mennesket gaar til sin evige Bolig og Sørgetoget gaar gennem Gaden,
You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
6 førend Sølvsnoren brister og Guldskaalen brydes itu, før Krukken slaas i Stykker ved Kilden og det søndrede Hjul falder ned i Brønden
[Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
7 og Støvet vender tilbage til Jorden som før og Aanden til Gud, som gav den.
Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
8 Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, alt er Tomhed.
[So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
9 Endnu skal siges, at Prædikeren var viis; han gav ogsaa Folket Kundskab; han granskede og ransagede og formede mange Ordsprog.
I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
10 Prædikeren søgte at finde Fyndord og optegnede sanddru Lære, Sandhedsord.
I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
11 Som Pigkæppe er de vises Ord, som inddrevne Søm, der sidder tæt; de er givet af en og samme Hyrde.
The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
12 Endnu skal siges: Min Søn, var dig! Der er ingen Ende paa, som der skrives Bøger, og megen Gransken trætter Legemet.
[So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
13 Enden paa Sagen, naar alt er hørt, er: Frygt Gud og hold hans Bud! Thi det bør hvert Menneske gøre.
[Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
14 Thi hver en Gerning bringer Gud for Retten, naar han dømmer alt, hvad der er skjult, være sig godt eller ondt.
And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
