Prædikeren 3
1 Alt har sin Stund og hver en Ting under Himmelen sin Tid:
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:
2 Tid til at fødes og Tid til at dø, Tid til at plante og Tid til at rydde,
A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 Tid til at dræbe og Tid til at læge, Tid til at nedrive og Tid til at opbygge,
A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 Tid til at græde og Tid til at le, Tid til at sørge og Tid til at danse,
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
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 cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 Tid til at søge og Tid til at miste, Tid til at gemme og Tid til at bortkaste,
A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 Tid til at flænge og Tid til at sy, Tid til at tie og Tid til at tale,
A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 Tid til at elske og Tid til at hade, Tid til Krig og Tid til Fred.
A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.
9 Hvad Løn for sin Flid har da den, der arbejder?
What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?
10 Jeg saa det Slid, som Gud har givet Menneskens Børn at slide med.
I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.
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 hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth.
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 know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;
13 Dog ogsaa det at spise og drikke og nyde det gode under al sin Flid er for hvert Menneske en Guds Gave.
yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of 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 know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.
15 Hvad der sker, var allerede, og hvad der skal ske, har allerede været; Gud leder det svundne op.
That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.
16 Fremdeles saa jeg under Solen, at Gudløshed var paa Rettens Sted og Gudløshed paa Retfærds Sted.
And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness 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 judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
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 thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but 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.
For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.
20 Alle gaar sammesteds hen, alle blev til af Muld, og alle vender tilbage til Mulden.
All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.
21 Hvo ved, om Menneskenes Aand stiger opad, og om Dyrenes Aand farer nedad til Jorden?
Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards 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?
And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
