Prædikeren 1
1 Ord af Prædikeren, Davids Søn, Konge i Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, endeløs Tomhed, alt er Tomhed!
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 Hvad Vinding har Mennesket af al den Flid, han gør sig under Solen?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 Slægt gaar, og Slægt kommer, men Jorden staar til evig Tid.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 Sol staar op, og Sol gaar ned og haster igen til sin Opgangs Sted.
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 Vinden gaar mod Syd og drejer mod Nord, den drejer atter og atter og vender tilbage til samme Kredsløb.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back 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 flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
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.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 Det, der kommer, er det, der var, det, der sker, er det, der skete; der er slet intet nyt under Solen.
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. 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.
Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
11 Ej mindes de svundne Slægter, og de ny, som kommer engang, skal ej heller mindes af dem, som kommer senere hen.
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 Jeg, Prædikeren, var Konge over Israel i Jerusalem.
I am the Teacher, and I have been 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.
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
14 Jeg saa alt, hvad der sker under Solen, og se, det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 Kroget kan ej blive lige, og halvt kan ej blive helt.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
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 have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great 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.
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 Thi megen Visdom megen Græmmelse, øget Kundskab øget Smerte.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
