Prædikeren 4
1 Fremdeles saa jeg al den Undertrykkelse, som sker under Solen; jeg saa de undertryktes Taarer og ingen trøstede dem; de led Vold af deres Undertrykkeres Haand, og ingen trøstede dem.
Once again I thought about all the oppression that is done under the sun. And behold, the tears of oppressed people, and they had no one to comfort them! Power was in the hand of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them!
2 Da priste jeg de døde, som allerede er døde, lykkeligere end de levende, som endnu er i Live;
So I considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.
3 men lykkeligere end begge den, som slet ikke er til, som ikke har set det onde, der sker under Solen.
However, more fortunate than both of them is the one who has not yet lived, the one who has not seen any of the evil acts that are done under the sun.
4 Og jeg saa, at al Flid og alt dygtigt Arbejde udspringer af den enes Misundelse mod den anden. Ogsaa det er Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
Then I saw that every act of labor and every skillful work became the envy of one's neighbor. This also is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
5 Daaren lægger Hænderne i Skødet og æder sig selv op.
The fool folds his hands and does not work, so his food is his own flesh.
6 Bedre en Haandfuld Hvile end Hænderne fulde af Flid og Jag efter Vind.
But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.
7 Og mere Tomhed saa jeg under Solen.
Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.
8 Mangen staar alene og har ikke nogen ved sin Side, hverken Søn eller Broder, og dog er der ingen Ende paa al hans Flid og hans Øje bliver ikke mæt af Rigdom. Men, for hvis Skyld gør jeg mig Flid og nægter mig enhver Nydelse? Ogsaa det, er Tomhed og ondt Slid.
There is the kind of man who is alone. He does not have anyone, no son or brother. There is no end to all his work, and his eyes are not satisfied with gaining wealth. He wonders, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vapor, a bad situation.
9 To er bedre faren end een, thi de faar god Løn for deres Flid;
Two people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.
10 hvis den ene falder, kan den anden rejse sin Fælle op. Men ve den ensomme! Thi falder han, er der ingen til at rejse ham op.
For if one falls, the other can lift up his friend. However, sorrow follows the one who is alone when he falls if there is no one to lift him up.
11 Og naar to ligger sammen, bliver de varme; men hvorledes kan den ensomme blive varm?
If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 Og naar nogen kan overvælde den ensomme, saa kan to staa sig imod ham; tretvundet Snor brister ikke i Hast.
One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.
13 Bedre faren er en fattig Yngling, som er viis, end en gammel Konge, som er en Taabe og ikke mere har Forstand til at lade sig raade.
It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to listen to warnings.
14 Thi hin gik ud af Fængselet for at blive Konge, skønt han var født i Fattigdom under den andens Regering.
This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 Jeg saa alle, som levede og færdedes under Solen, stille sig ved den Ynglings Side, som skulde træde i Kongens Sted;
I saw everyone who was alive and was walking around under the sun, along with a youth who was to rise up to take his place.
16 der var ikke Tal paa alle de Mennesker, han stod i Spidsen for; men heller ikke over ham glæder de senere Slægter sig; nej, ogsaa det er Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
There is no end to all the people who want to obey the new king, but later many of them will no longer praise him. Surely this situation is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
