Prædikeren 3
1 Alt har sin stund og hver en Ting under Himmelen sin Tid:
To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter under heaven.
2 Tid til at fødes og Tid til at dø, Tid til at plante og Tid til at rydde,
A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted;
3 Tid til at dræbe og Tid til at læge, Tid til at nedrive og Tid til at opbygge,
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to pull down, and a time to build up;
4 Tid til at græde og Tid til at le, Tid til at sørge og Tid til at danse,
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance;
5 Tid til at kaste Sten, og Tid til at sanke Sten, Tid til at favne og Tid til ikke at favne,
a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain from embracing;
6 Tid til at søge og Tid til at miste, Tid til at gemme og Tid til at bortkaste,
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 Tid til at flænge og Tid til at sy, Tid til at tie og Tid til at tale,
a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;
8 Tid til at elske og Tid til at hade, Tid til Krig og Tid til Fred.
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 Hvad Løn for sin Flid har da den, der arbejder?
What advantage [has] he that works in those things wherein he labours?
10 Jeg så det Slid, som Gud har givet Menneskens Børn at slide med.
I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.
11 Alt har han skabt smukt til rette Tid; også Evigheden har han lagt i deres Hjerte, dog således at Menneskene hverken fatter det første eller det sidste af, hvad Gud har virket.
All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the end.
12 Jeg skønnede, at der ikke gives noget andet Gode for dem end at glæde sig og have det godt, sålænge de lever.
I know that there is no good in them, except [for a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 Dog også det at spise og drikke og nyde det gode under al sin Flid er for hvert Menneske en Guds Gave.
Also [in the case of] every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labour, [this] is a gift of God.
14 Jeg skønnede, at alt, hvad Gud virker, bliver evindelig, uden at noget kan føjes til eller tages fra; og således har Gud gjort det, for at man skal frygte for hans Åsyn.
I know that whatsoever things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it: and God has done [it], that [men] may fear before him.
15 Hvad der sker, var allerede, og hvad der skal ske, har allerede været; Gud leder det svundne op.
That which has been is now; and whatever things [are appointed] to be have already been; and God will seek out that which is past.
16 Fremdeles så jeg under Solen, at Gudløshed var på Rettens Sted og Gudløshed på Retfærds Sted.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one.
17 Jeg sagde ved mig selv: "Den retfærdige og den gudløse dømmer Gud; thi for hver en Ting og hver en Idræt har han fastsat en Tid.
And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action and for every work.
18 Jeg sagde ved mig selv: "Det er for Menneskenes Skyld, for at Gud kan prøve dem, og for at de selv kan se, at de er Dyr:"
I said in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to shew that they are breasts.
19 Thi Menneskers og Dyrs Skæbne er ens; som den ene dør, dør den anden, og en og samme Ånd har de alle; Mennesket har intet forud for Dyrene, thi alt er Tomhed.
Also to them is the event of the sons of man, and the event of the brute; one event befalls them: as is the death of the one, so also the death of the other; and there is one breath to all: and what has the man more than the brute? nothing; for all is vanity.
20 Alle går sammesteds hen, alle blev til af Muld, og alle vender tilbage til Mulden.
All [go] to one place; all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust.
21 Hvo ved, om Menneskenes Ånd stiger opad, og om Dyrenes Ånd farer nedad til Jorden?
And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?
22 Således indså jeg, at intet er bedre for Mennesket end at glæde sig ved sin Gerning, thi det er hans Del; thi hvo kan bringe ham så vidt, at han kan se, hvad der kommer efter hans Død?
And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?
