Prædikeren 6
1 Der er et Onde, jeg saa under Solen, og som tynger Menneskene haardt:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;
2 Naar Gud giver en Mand Rigdom og Gods og Ære, saa han intet savner af, hvad han ønsker, og Gud ikke sætter ham i Stand til at nyde det, men en fremmed nyder det, da er dette Tomhed og en slem Lidelse.
A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.
3 Om en Mand avler hundrede Børn og lever mange Aar, saa hans Levetid bliver lang, men hans Sjæl ikke mættes af Goder, saa siger jeg dog, at et utidigt Foster er bedre faren end han;
If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.
4 thi at det kommer, er Tomhed, og det gaar bort i Mørke, og i Mørke dølges dets Navn;
In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered.
5 og det har hverken set eller kendt Sol; det faar end ikke en Grav; det hviler bedre end han.
Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
6 Om han saa levede to Gange tusind Aar, men ikke skuede Lykke — mon ikke alle farer sammesteds hen?
And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?
7 Al Menneskets Flid tjener hans Mund, og dog stilles hans Sult aldrig.
All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.
8 Thi hvad har den vise forud for Taaben, hvad baader det den arme, der ved at vandre for de levendes Øjne?
What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?
9 Bedre at se med sine Øjne end higende Attraa. Ogsaa det er Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
10 Hvad der bliver til er for længst nævnet ved Navn, og det vides i Forvejen, hvad et Menneske bliver til; det kan ikke gaa i Rette med ham, der er den stærkeste.
That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.
11 Thi jo flere Ord der bruges, des større bliver Tomheden, og hvad gavner de Mennesket?
There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
12 Thi hvo ved, hvad der baader et Menneske i Livet, det Tal af tomme Levedage han henlever som en Skygge? Thi hvo kan sige et Menneske, hvad der skal ske under Solen efter hans Død?
Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?
