Prædikeren 5
1 Va'r din Fod, naar du gaar til Guds Hus! At komme for at høre er bedre, end at Daarer bringer Slagtoffer, thi de har ikke Forstand til andet end at gøre ondt.
Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
2 Lad ikke din Mund løbe eller dit Hjerte haste med at udtale et Ord for Guds Aasyn; thi Gud er i Himmelen og du paa Jorden, derfor skal dine Ord være faa.
Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3 Thi meget Slid giver Drømme, og mange Ord giver Daaretale.
For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.
4 Naar du giver Gud et Løfte, saa tøv ikke med at holde det! Thi der er ingen Glæde ved Daarer. Hvad du lover, skal du holde.
When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
5 Det er bedre, at du ikke lover, end at du lover uden at holde.
It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Lad ikke din Mund bringe Skyld over dit Legeme og sig ikke til Guds Sendebud, at det var af Vanvare! Hvorfor skal Gud vredes over din Tale og nedbryde dine Hænders Værk?
Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 Thi af mange Drømme og Ord kommer mange Skuffelser; nej, frygt Gud!
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.
8 Naar du ser den fattige undertrykt og Lov og Ret krænket paa din Egn, saa undre dig ikke over den Ting; thi paa den høje vogter en højere, og andre endnu højere vogter paa dem begge.
If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.
9 Dog, en Fordel for et Land er det i alt Fald, at der er en Konge over dyrket Jord.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.
10 Den, der elsker Sølv, mættes aldrig af Sølv, og den, der elsker Rigdom, mættes aldrig af Vinding. Ogsaa det er Tomhed.
He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11 Jo mere Gods, des flere til at fortære det, og hvad Gavn har Ejeren da deraf, ud over at hans Øjne ser det?
When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?
12 Sød er Arbejderens Søvn, hvad enten han har lidt eller meget at spise; men den riges Overflod giver ikke ham Lov til at sove.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 Der er et slemt Onde, som jeg saa under Solen: Rigdom gemt hen af sin Ejermand til hans Ulykke;
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14 gaar Rigdommen tabt ved et Uheld, og han har avlet en Søn, saa bliver der intet til ham.
Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 Som han udgik af sin Moders Liv, skal han atter gaa bort, lige saa nøgen som han kom, og ved sin Flid vinder han intet, han kan tage med sig.
As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 Ogsaa det er et slemt Onde: ganske som han kom, gaar han bort, og hvad Vinding har han saa af, at han gør sig Flid hen i Vejret?
This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labours for the wind?
17 Og dertil kommer et helt Liv i Mørke, Sorg og stor Kvide, Sygdom og Kummer.
All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
18 Se, hvad der efter mit Skøn er godt og smukt, det er at spise og drikke og nyde det gode under al den Flid, man gør sig under Solen, alle de Levedage Gud giver en; thi det er den Del, man har;
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, in which he labours under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.
19 og hver Gang Gud giver et Menneske Rigdom og Gods og sætter ham i Stand til at nyde det, og tage sin Del og glæde sig under sin Flid, da er det en Guds Gave;
Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour—this is the gift of God.
20 thi da tænker han ikke stort paa sine Levedage, idet Gud lader ham være optaget af sit Hjertes Glæde.
For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
