Prædikeren 8
1 Hvo er som den vise, og hvo ved at tyde en Ting? Visdom faar et Menneskes Aasyn til at lyse, og Aasynets Haardhed mildnes.
Who is as the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2 Hold en Konges Bud! Men drejer det sig om en Gudsed, saa forhast dig ikke.
I say, Keep the king's command, and that because of the oath of God.
3 Gaa bort fra hans Aasyn og bliv ikke staaende, naar Sagen staar slet; thi han kan gøre alt, hvad han vil.
Be not hasty to go out of his presence. Persist not in an evil matter, for he does whatever pleases him.
4 Thi en Konges Ord er Magtsprog, og hvo kan sige til ham: »Hvad gør du?«
For the king's word has power, and who may say to him, What are thou doing?
5 Den, som holder Budet, skal ikke mærke til noget ondt, og Dommens Tid skal den vises Hjerte kende.
He who keeps a commandment shall know no evil thing. And a wise man's heart discerns the time and decision.
6 Thi enhver Ting har sin Tid og sin Dom, men det er et tyngende Onde for Mennesket,
For to every purpose there is a time and decision, although the distress of man is great upon him.
7 at han ikke ved, hvad der vil ske; thi hvo kan sige ham hvorledes Fremtiden bliver?
For he knows not that which shall be, for who can tell him how it shall be?
8 Som intet Menneske er Herre over Vinden, saa han kan spærre den inde, er ingen Herre over Dødens Dag; Krig kan man ikke unddrage sig, og Gudløshed frier ikke sin Mand.
There is no man who has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, nor has he power over the day of death. And there is no discharge in war. Neither shall wickedness deliver him who is given to it.
9 Alt dette saa jeg, idet jeg rettede min Tanke paa hver en Idræt, som øves under Solen: Der er Tider, da det ene Menneske hersker over det andet til hans Ulykke.
All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.
10 Ligeledes saa jeg gudløse stedes til Hvile, medens de, som gjorde det rette, maatte gaa bort fra det hellige Sted og glemtes i Byen. Ogsaa det er Tomhed.
So I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were praised in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.
11 Fordi den onde Gerning ikke i Hast rammes af Dommen faar Menneskenes Hjerte Mod til at gøre det onde,
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 eftersom Synderen gør det onde fra første Færd og dog lever længe; men ogsaa ved jeg, at det skal gaa dem godt, som frygter Gud, fordi de frygter for hans Aasyn,
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and prolongs his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who fear before him.
13 og at det ikke skal gaa de gudløse godt, og at deres Levetid ikke skal længes som Skyggen, fordi de ikke frygter for Guds Aasyn.
But it shall not be well with a wicked man, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he did not fear before God.
14 Der er en Tomhed, som forekommer paa Jorden: at der findes retfærdige, hvem det gaar, som om de havde gjort de gudløses Gerninger, og gudløse, hvem det gaar som om de havde gjort de retfærdiges Gerninger. Jeg sagde: Ogsaa det er Tomhed.
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked, again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15 Og jeg priste Glæden, fordi Mennesket ikke har andet Gode under Solen end at spise og drikke og være glad, og at dette ledsager ham under hans Flid i de Levedage, Gud giver ham under Solen.
Then I commended joy, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be cheerful. For that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16 Hver Gang jeg vendte min Hu til at nemme Visdom og granske det Slid, som gaar for sig paa Jorden — thi hverken Dag eller Nat faar man Søvn i Øjnene —
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is he who sees sleep with his eyes neither day nor night),
17 da indsaa jeg, at det er saaledes med alt Guds Værk, at Mennesket ikke kan udgrunde det, som sker under Solen; thi trods al den Flid, et Menneske gør sig med at søge, kan han ikke udgrunde det; og selv om den vise mener at kende det, kan han ikke udgrunde det.
then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. Because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea moreover, though a wise man thinks to know it, yet he shall not be able to find it.
