Prædikeren 1
1 Ord af Prædikeren, Davids Søn, Konge i Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, endeløs Tomhed, alt er Tomhed!
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, 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 by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
4 Slægt gaar, og Slægt kommer, men Jorden staar til evig Tid.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth for ever.
5 Sol staar op, og Sol gaar ned og haster igen til sin Opgangs Sted.
The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
6 Vinden gaar mod Syd og drejer mod Nord, den drejer atter og atter og vender tilbage til samme Kredsløb.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth to its circuits.
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 not full; to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return.
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 words become weary; man cannot express it; the eye is not 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.
The thing that hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing 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.
Is there any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the 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.
There is no remembrance of former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
12 Jeg, Prædikeren, var Konge over Israel i Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel at 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 gave my mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
14 Jeg saa alt, hvad der sker under Solen, og se, det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
I saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind.
15 Kroget kan ej blive lige, og halvt kan ej blive helt.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting 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 communed with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath 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 gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.
18 Thi megen Visdom megen Græmmelse, øget Kundskab øget Smerte.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
