Ordsprogene 23
1 Naar du sidder til Bords hos en Stormand, mærk dig da nøje, hvem du har for dig,
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 og sæt dig en Kniv paa Struben, i Fald du er alt for sulten.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Attraa ikke hans lækre Retter, thi det er svigefuld Kost.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Slid dig ikke op for at vinde dig Rigdom, brug ej din Forstand dertil!
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 Skal dit Blik flyve efter den uden at finde den? Visselig gør den sig Vinger som Ørnen, der flyver mod Himlen.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Spis ej den misundeliges Brød, attraa ikke hans lækre Retter;
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 thi han sidder med karrige Tanker; han siger til dig: »Spis og drik!« men hans Hjerte er ikke med dig.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Den Bid, du har spist, maa du udspy, du spilder dine fagre Ord.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Tal ikke for Taabens Ører, thi din kloge Tale agter han ringe.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Flyt ej ældgamle Skel, kom ikke paa faderløses Mark;
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 thi deres Løser er stærk, han fører deres Sag imod dig.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Vend dit Hjerte til Tugt, dit Øre til Kundskabs Ord.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Spar ej Drengen for Tugt; naar du slaar ham med Riset, undgaar han Døden;
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Min Søn, er dit Hjerte viist, saa glæder mit Hjerte sig ogsaa,
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 og mine Nyrer jubler, naar dine Læber taler, hvad ret er!
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Dit Hjerte være ikke skinsygt paa Syndere, men stadig ivrigt i HERRENS Frygt;
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 en Fremtid har du visselig da, dit Haab bliver ikke til intet.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hør, min Søn, og bliv viis, lad dit Hjerte gaa den lige Vej.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Hør ikke til dem, der svælger i Vin, eller dem, der fraadser i Kød;
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 thi Dranker og Fraadser forarmes, Søvn giver lasede Klæder.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Hør din Fader, som avlede dig, ringeagt ikke din gamle Moder!
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Køb Sandhed og sælg den ikke, Visdom, Tugt og Forstand.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Den retfærdiges Fader jubler; har man avlet en Vismand, glædes man ved ham;
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 din Fader og Moder glæde sig, hun, der fødte dig, juble!
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 Giv mig dit Hjerte, min Søn, og lad dine Øjne synes om mine Veje!
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 Thi en bundløs Grav er Skøgen, den fremmede Kvinde, en snæver Brønd;
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 ja, som en Stimand ligger hun paa Lur og øger de troløses Tal blandt Mennesker.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Hvem har Ak, og hvem har Ve, hvem har Kiv, og hvem har Klage? Hvem har Saar uden Grund, hvem har sløve Øjne?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 De, som sidder sent over Vinen, som kommer for at smage den stærke Drik.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Se ikke til Vinen, hvor rød den er, hvorledes den perler i Bægeret; den glider saa glat,
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 men bider til sidst som en Slange og spyr sin Gift som en Øgle;
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 dine Øjne skuer de sælsomste Ting, og bagvendt taler dit Hjerte;
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 du har det, som laa du midt i Havet, som laa du oppe paa en Mastetop.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 »De slog mig, jeg følte ej Smerte, gav mig Hug, jeg mærked det ikke; naar engang jeg vaagner igen, saa søger jeg atter til Vinen!«
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
