Prædikeren 9
1 Ja, alt dette lagde jeg mig paa Sinde, og mit Hjerte indsaa det alt sammen: at de retfærdige og de vise og deres Gerninger er i Guds Haand. Hverken om Kærlighed eller Had kan Menneskene vide noget; alt, hvad der er dem for Øje, er Tomhed.
[I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yes, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.
2 Thi alle faar en og samme Skæbne, retfærdig og gudløs, god og ond, ren og uren, den, som ofrer, og den, som ikke ofrer; det gaar den gode som Synderen, den sværgende som den, der skyr at sværge.
Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.
3 Det er det, der er Fejlen ved alt, hvad der sker under Solen, at alle faar en og samme Skæbne; derfor er ogsaa Menneskebørnenes Hjerte fuldt af ondt, og der er Daarskab i deres Hjerte Livet igennem, og til sidst maa de ned til de døde.
There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.
4 Kun for den, der hører til de levendes Flok, er der Haab; thi levende Hund er bedre faren end død Løve.
for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Thi de levende ved dog, at de skal dø, men de døde ved ingenting, og Løn har de ikke mere i Vente; thi Mindet om dem slettes ud.
For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.
6 Baade deres Kærlighed og deres Had og deres Misundelse er for længst borte, og de faar ingen Sinde mere Lod og Del i noget af det, som sker under Solen.
also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yes, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.
7 Saa spis da dit Brød med Glæde, drik vel til Mode din Vin; thi din Id har Gud for længst kendt god.
Go, eat your bread with mirth, and drink your wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted your works.
8 Dine Klæder være altid hvide, lad Olie ikke savnes paa dit Hoved!
Let your garments be always white; and let not oil be lacking on your head.
9 Nyd Livet med den Kvinde, du elsker, alle dine tomme Levedage, som gives dig under Solen; thi det er din Lod og Del af Livet og af den Flid, du gør dig under Solen.
And see life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which are given you under the sun: for that is your portion in your life, and in your labour wherein you labour under the sun.
10 Gør efter Evne alt, hvad din Haand finder Styrke til; thi der er hverken Virke eller Tanke eller Kundskab eller Visdom i Dødsriget, hvor du stævner hen. (Sheol h7585)
Whatsoever your hand shall find to do, do with all your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither you go. (Sheol h7585)
11 Og atter saa jeg under Solen, at Hurtigløberen ikke er Herre over Løbet eller Heltene over Kampen, ej heller de vise over Brødet, ej heller de kløgtige over Rigdom, ej heller de kloge over Yndest, men alle er de bundet af Tid og Tilfælde.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all.
12 Thi et Menneske kender lige saa lidt sin Tid som Fisk, der fanges i det slemme Garn, eller Fugle, der hildes i Snaren; ligesom disse fanges Menneskens Børn i Ulykkens Stund, naar den brat falder over dem.
For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.
13 Ogsaa dette Tilfælde af Visdom saa jeg under Solen, og det gjorde dybt Indtryk paa mig:
This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me:
14 Der var en lille By med faa Indbyggere, og mod den kom en stor Konge; han omringede den og byggede høje Volde imod den;
[suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;
15 men der fandtes i Byen en fattig Mand, som var viis, og han frelste den ved sin Visdom. Men ingen mindedes den fattige Mand.
and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.
16 Da sagde jeg: »Visdom er bedre end Styrke, men den fattiges Visdom agtes ringe, og hans Ord høres ikke.«
And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nothing, and his words not listened to.
17 Vismænds Ord, der høres i Ro, er bedre end en Herskers Raab iblandt Daarer.
The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.
18 Visdom er bedre end Vaaben, men en eneste Synder kan ødelægge meget godt.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.
