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.
But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole [is] before them.
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.
The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing 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.
This [is] an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it — unto the dead.
4 Kun for den, der hører til de levendes Flok, er der Haab; thi levende Hund er bedre faren end død Løve.
But [to] him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the 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 know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.
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.
Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been 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 with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.
8 Dine Klæder være altid hvide, lad Olie ikke savnes paa dit Hoved!
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy 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.
See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it [is] thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at 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)
All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going. (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 have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with 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 even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these [are] the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.
13 Ogsaa dette Tilfælde af Visdom saa jeg under Solen, og det gjorde dybt Indtryk paa mig:
This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to 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;
A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;
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 there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered 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, 'Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' —
17 Vismænds Ord, der høres i Ro, er bedre end en Herskers Raab iblandt Daarer.
The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
18 Visdom er bedre end Vaaben, men en eneste Synder kan ødelægge meget godt.
Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!
