Prædikeren 2
1 Jeg sagde ved mig selv: »Vel, jeg vil prøve med Glæde; saa nyd da det gode!« Men se, ogsaa det var Tomhed.
Come, then, I said in my heart, I will have a taste of joy, and thou shalt see what is good; but, behold, this also was vanity.
2 Om Latteren sagde jeg: »Daarskab!« og om Glæden: »Hvad gavner den?«
Of laughter I said, It maketh one mad: and of joy, What doth this do?
3 Jeg kom paa den Tanke at kvæge mit Legeme med Vin, medens mit Hjerte dog raadede med Visdom, og at slaa mig paa Daarskab, indtil jeg saa, hvad det baader Menneskens Børn at gøre under Himmelen, det Dagetal de lever.
I resolved in my heart to indulge my body with wine, while my heart guideth itself with wisdom; and to lay fast hold on folly, till I might see what it is that is good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heavens during the number of the days of their life.
4 Jeg fuldbyrdede store Værker, byggede mig Huse, plantede mig Vingaarde,
I made great works: I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;
5 anlagde mig Haver og Lunde og plantede alle Haande Frugttræer deri,
I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted therein trees of all kinds of fruit;
6 anlagde mig Damme til at vande en Skov i Opvækst;
I made myself pools of water, to water therewith the forest overgrown with trees;
7 jeg købte Trælle og Trælkvinder, og jeg havde hjemmefødte Trælle; ogsaa Kvæg, Hornkvæg og Smaakvæg, havde jeg i større Maader end nogen af dem, der før mig havde været i Jerusalem;
I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and I had likewise those born in my house; I had also great possessions of cattle and flocks above all that had been before me in Jerusalem.
8 jeg samlede mig ogsaa Sølv og Guld, Skatte fra Konger og Lande; jeg tog mig Sangere og Sangerinder og Menneskens Børns Lyst: Hustru og Hustruer.
I gathered unto myself also silver and gold, and the choice treasures of kings and of the provinces: I procured myself male singers and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, wagons and chariots.
9 Og jeg blev stor, større end nogen af dem, der før mig havde været i Jerusalem; desuden blev min Visdom hos mig.
So was I great, and obtained more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Intet, som mine Øjne attraaede, unddrog jeg dem; jeg nægtede ikke mit Hjerte nogen Glæde thi mit Hjerte havde Glæde af al min Flid, og deri laa Lønnen for al min Flid.
And whatsoever my eyes desired I refused them not; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart was rejoiced with all my toil, and this was my portion of all my toil.
11 Men da jeg overskuede alt, hvad mine Hænder havde virket, og den Flid, det havde kostet mig, se, da var det alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind, og der er ingen Vinding under Solen.
But when I turned myself [to look] on all my works that my hands had wrought, and on the toil that I had toiled to accomplish: then, behold, all was vanity and a torture of the spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Thi hvad gør det Menneske, som kommer efter Kongen? Det samme, som tilforn er gjort? Jeg gav mig da til at sammenligne Visdom med Daarskab og Taabelighed.
And then I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [only] that which [others] have done already.
13 Jeg saa, at Visdom har samme Fortrin for Taabelighed som Lys for Mørke:
But I saw indeed that wisdom hath the advantage over folly, as great as the advantage of light over darkness.
14 Den vise har Øjne i Hovedet, men Taaben vandrer i Mørke. Men jeg skønnede ogsaa, at en og samme Skæbne rammer begge.
The wise man hath his eyes in his head, while the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself perceived then also that one occurrence will befall all of them.
15 Da sagde jeg ved mig selv: »Taabens Skæbne rammer ogsaa mig; hvad har jeg da for, at jeg er blevet overvættes viis?« Og jeg sagde ved mig selv, at ogsaa det er Tomhed;
Then said I in my heart, The same that befalleth the fool will also befall even me: and why have I then been wiser? Then spoke I in my heart, that this is also vanity.
16 thi den vises Minde er lige saa lidt evigt som Taabens, fordi nu engang alt glemmes i kommende Dage; ak! den vise maa dø saa godt som Taaben.
For there is no recollection of the wise any more than of the fool for ever: seeing that which hath long ago been will, in the days that are coming, all be forgotten. And how doth the wise die equally with the fool!
17 Da blev jeg led ved Livet, thi ilde tyktes mig det, som sker under Solen; thi det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
Therefore I hated life; because I felt displeased with the work that is wrought under the sun; for all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
18 Og jeg blev led ved al den Flid, jeg, har gjort mig under Solen, fordi jeg maa efterlade mit Værk til den, som kommer efter mig.
Yea, I hated also all my toil with which I had toiled under the sun; because I should have to leave it unto the man that will be after me.
19 Hvo ved, om det bliver en Vismand eller en Taabe? Og dog skal han raade over alt, hvad jeg med Flid og Visdom vandt under Solen. Ogsaa det er Tomhed.
And who knoweth, whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have full sway over all my toil wherein I have toiled, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. Also this is vanity.
20 Og jeg var ved at fortvivle over al den Flid, jeg har gjort mig under Solen;
Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to give up thinking of all the toil wherewith I had toiled under the sun.
21 thi der har et Menneske gjort sig. Flid med Visdom, Kundskab og Dygtighed, og saa maa han overlade sit Eje til et Menneske, som ikke har lagt Flid derpaa. Ogsaa det er Tomhed og et stort Onde.
For there is many a man whose toil is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with energy; yet to a man that hath not toiled therefore must he give it as his portion. Also this is vanity and a great evil.
22 Thi hvad faar et Menneske for al sin Flid og sit Hjertes Higen, som han gør sig Flid med under Solen?
For what doth a man obtain of all his toil, and of the torture of his heart, wherewith he toileth under the sun?
23 Alle hans Dage er jo Lidelse, og hans Slid er Græmmelse; end ikke om Natten finder hans Hjerte Hvile. Ogsaa det er Tomhed.
For all his days are full of pains, and vexation is [mingled with] his employment: yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. Also this is vanity.
24 Intet er bedre for et Menneske end at spise og drikke og give sin Sjæl gode Dage ved sin Flid. Og det skønnede jeg, at ogsaa det kommer fra Guds Haand.
It is not a good thing [inherent] in man that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy happiness for his toil. Also this have I seen, that it cometh out of the hand of God.
25 Thi hvo kan spise eller drikke uden hans Vilje?
For who can well eat, or who can enjoy earthly things more than I?
26 Thi det Menneske, som er godt i hans Øjne, giver han Visdom, Kundskab og Glæde; men den, som synder, giver han Slid med at samle og ophobe for saa at give det til en, som er god i Guds Øjne. Ogsaa det er Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
For to a man who is good in his presence [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth employment, to gather up and to bring together, that he may give it to him that is good before God. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
