Prædikeren 1
1 Ord af Prædikeren, Davids Søn, Konge i Jerusalem.
The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
2 Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, endeløs Tomhed, alt er Tomhed!
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.
3 Hvad Vinding har Mennesket af al den Flid, han gør sig under Solen?
What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth under the sun?
4 Slægt gaar, og Slægt kommer, men Jorden staar til evig Tid.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth for ever.
5 Sol staar op, og Sol gaar ned og haster igen til sin Opgangs Sted.
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
6 Vinden gaar mod Syd og drejer mod Nord, den drejer atter og atter og vender tilbage til samme Kredsløb.
Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.
7 Alle Bække løber i Havet, men Havet bliver ikke fuldt; det Sted, til hvilket Bækkene løber, did bliver de ved at løbe.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.
8 Alting slider sig træt; Mand hører ikke op med at tale, Øjet bliver ikke mæt af at se, Øret ej fuldt af at høre.
All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Det, der kommer, er det, der var, det, der sker, er det, der skete; der er slet intet nyt under Solen.
That which hath been, is the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same which will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Kommer der noget, om hvilket man siger: »Se, her er da noget nyt!« det har dog for længst været til i Tiderne forud for os.
If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.
11 Ej mindes de svundne Slægter, og de ny, som kommer engang, skal ej heller mindes af dem, som kommer senere hen.
[Only] there is no recollection of former [generations]; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these [likewise] there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.
12 Jeg, Prædikeren, var Konge over Israel i Jerusalem.
I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Jeg vendte min Hu til at ransage og med Visdom udgranske alt, hvad der sker under Himmelen; det er et ondt Slid, som Gud har givet Menneskens Børn at slide med.
And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith.
14 Jeg saa alt, hvad der sker under Solen, og se, det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
15 Kroget kan ej blive lige, og halvt kan ej blive helt.
What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
16 Jeg tænkte ved mig selv: »Se, jeg har vundet større og rigere Visdom end alle de, der før mig var over Jerusalem, og mit Hjerte har skuet Visdom og Kundskab i Fylde.«
I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge.
17 Jeg vendte min Hu til at fatte, hvad der er Visdom og Kundskab, og hvad der er Daarskab og Taabelighed; jeg skønnede, at ogsaa det er Jag efter Vind.
And I directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; [but] I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.
18 Thi megen Visdom megen Græmmelse, øget Kundskab øget Smerte.
For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
