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.
And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
2 Da priste jeg de døde, som allerede er døde, lykkeligere end de levende, som endnu er i Live;
And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
3 men lykkeligere end begge den, som slet ikke er til, som ikke har set det onde, der sker under Solen.
And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been 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.
And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
5 Daaren lægger Hænderne i Skødet og æder sig selv op.
The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
6 Bedre en Haandfuld Hvile end Hænderne fulde af Flid og Jag efter Vind.
'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
7 Og mere Tomhed saa jeg under Solen.
And I have turned, and I see a vain thing 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 one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
9 To er bedre faren end een, thi de faar god Løn for deres Flid;
The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.
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 they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but woe to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!
11 Og naar to ligger sammen, bliver de varme; men hvorledes kan den ensomme blive varm?
Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?
12 Og naar nogen kan overvælde den ensomme, saa kan to staa sig imod ham; tretvundet Snor brister ikke i Hast.
And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily 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.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
14 Thi hin gik ud af Fængselet for at blive Konge, skønt han var født i Fattigdom under den andens Regering.
For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.
15 Jeg saa alle, som levede og færdedes under Solen, stille sig ved den Ynglings Side, som skulde træde i Kongens Sted;
I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in 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, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
