Prædikeren 3
1 Alt har sin Stund og hver en Ting under Himmelen sin Tid:
For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.
2 Tid til at fødes og Tid til at dø, Tid til at plante og Tid til at rydde,
A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;
3 Tid til at dræbe og Tid til at læge, Tid til at nedrive og Tid til at opbygge,
A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;
4 Tid til at græde og Tid til at le, Tid til at sørge og Tid til at danse,
A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;
5 Tid til at kaste Sten, og Tid til at sanke Sten, Tid til at favne og Tid til ikke at favne,
A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;
6 Tid til at søge og Tid til at miste, Tid til at gemme og Tid til at bortkaste,
A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;
7 Tid til at flænge og Tid til at sy, Tid til at tie og Tid til at tale,
A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;
8 Tid til at elske og Tid til at hade, Tid til Krig og Tid til Fred.
A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
9 Hvad Løn for sin Flid har da den, der arbejder?
What profit has the worker in the work which he does?
10 Jeg saa det Slid, som Gud har givet Menneskens Børn at slide med.
I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.
11 Alt har han skabt smukt til rette Tid; ogsaa Evigheden har han lagt i deres Hjerte, dog saaledes at Menneskene hverken fatter det første eller det sidste af, hvad Gud har virket.
He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.
12 Jeg skønnede, at der ikke gives noget andet Gode for dem end at glæde sig og have det godt, saa længe de lever.
I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.
13 Dog ogsaa det at spise og drikke og nyde det gode under al sin Flid er for hvert Menneske en Guds Gave.
And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.
14 Jeg skønnede, at alt, hvad Gud virker, bliver evindelig, uden at noget kan føjes til eller tages fra; og saaledes har Gud gjort det, for at man skal frygte for hans Aasyn.
I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.
15 Hvad der sker, var allerede, og hvad der skal ske, har allerede været; Gud leder det svundne op.
Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
16 Fremdeles saa jeg under Solen, at Gudløshed var paa Rettens Sted og Gudløshed paa Retfærds Sted.
And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.
17 Jeg sagde ved mig selv: »Den retfærdige og den gudløse dømmer Gud; thi for hver en Ting og hver en Idræt har han fastsat en Tid.«
I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.
18 Jeg sagde ved mig selv: »Det er for Menneskenes Skyld, for at Gud kan prøve dem, og for at de selv kan se, at de er Dyr.«
I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.
19 Thi Menneskers og Dyrs Skæbne er ens; som den ene dør, dør den anden, og en og samme Aand har de alle; Mennesket har intet forud for Dyrene, thi alt er Tomhed.
Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
20 Alle gaar sammesteds hen, alle blev til af Muld, og alle vender tilbage til Mulden.
All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.
21 Hvo ved, om Menneskenes Aand stiger opad, og om Dyrenes Aand farer nedad til Jorden?
Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?
22 Saaledes indsaa jeg, at intet er bedre for Mennesket end at glæde sig ved sin Gerning, thi det er hans Del; thi hvo kan bringe ham saa vidt, at han kan se, hvad der kommer efter hans Død?
So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work — because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?
