Prædikeren 5
1 Va'r din fod, når du går til Guds Hus! At komme for at høre er bedre, end at Dårer bringer Slagtoffer, thi de har ikke Forstand til andet end at gøre ondt.
Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the House of God, and be more neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles: for they knowe not that they doe euil.
2 Lad ikke din Mund løbe eller dit Hjerte haste med at udtale et Ord for Guds Åsyn; thi Gud er i Himmelen og du på Jorden, derfor skal dine Ord være få.
Be not rash with thy mouth, nor let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God: for God is in the heauens, and thou art on the earth: therefore let thy wordes be fewe.
3 Thi meget Slid giver Drømme, og mange Ord giver Dåretale.
For as a dreame commeth by the multitude of businesse: so the voyce of a foole is in the multitude of wordes.
4 Når du giver Gud et Løfte, så tøv ikke med at holde det! Thi der er ingen Glæde ved Dårer. Hvad du lover, skal du holde.
When thou hast vowed a vowe to God, deferre not to pay it: for he deliteth not in fooles: pay therefore that thou hast vowed.
5 Det er bedre, at du ikke lover, end at du lover uden at holde.
It is better that thou shouldest not vowe, then that thou shouldest vow and not pay it.
6 Lad ikke din Mund bringe Skyld over dit Legeme og sig ikke til Guds Sendebud, at det var af Vanvare! Hvorfor skal Gud vredes over din Tale og nedbryde dine Hænders Værk?
Suffer not thy mouth to make thy flesh to sinne: neither say before the Angel, that this is ignorance: wherefore shall God bee angry by thy voyce, and destroy the worke of thine hands?
7 Thi af mange Drømme og Ord kommer mange Skuffelser; nej, frygt Gud!
For in the multitude of dreames, and vanities are also many wordes: but feare thou God.
8 Når du ser den fattige undertrykt og Lov og Ret krænket på din Egn, så undre dig ikke over den Ting; thi på den høje vogter en højere, og andre endnu højere vogter på dem begge.
If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore, and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice, be not astonied at the matter: for hee that is higher then the highest, regardeth, and there be higher then they.
9 Dog, en Fordel for et Land er det i alt Fald, at der er en Konge over dyrket Jord.
And the abundance of the earth is ouer all: the King also consisteth by the fielde that is tilled.
10 Den, der elsker Sølv, mættes aldrig af Sølv, og den, der elsker Rigdom, mættes aldrig af Vinding. Også det er Tomhed.
He that loueth siluer, shall not be satisfied with siluer, and he that loueth riches, shalbe without the fruite thereof: this also is vanitie.
11 Jo mere Gods, des flere til at fortære det, og hvad Gavn har Ejeren da deraf, ud over at hans Øjne ser det?
When goods increase, they are increased that eate them: and what good commeth to the owners thereof, but the beholding thereof with their eyes?
12 Sød er Arbejderens Søvn, hvad enten han har lidt eller meget at spise; men den riges Overflod giver ikke ham Lov til at sove.
The sleepe of him that traueileth, is sweete, whether he eate litle or much: but the sacietie of the riche will not suffer him to sleepe.
13 Der er et slemt Onde, som jeg så under Solen: Rigdom gemt hen af sin Ejermand til hans Ulykke;
There is an euill sickenes that I haue seene vnder the sunne: to wit, riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill.
14 går Rigdommen tabt ved et Uheld, og han har avlet en Søn, så bliver der intet til ham.
And these riches perish by euill trauel, and he begetteth a sonne, and in his hand is nothing.
15 Som han udgik af sin Moders Liv, skal han atter gå bort, lige så nøgen som han kom, og ved sin Flid vinder han intet, han kan tage med sig.
As hee came foorth of his mothers belly, he shall returne naked to goe as he came, and shall beare away nothing of his labour, which hee hath caused to passe by his hand.
16 Også det er et slemt Onde: ganske som han kom, går han bort, og hvad Vinding har han så af, at han gør sig Flid hen i Vejret?
And this also is an euill sickenes that in all pointes as he came, so shall he goe, and what profit hath he that he hath traueiled for the winde?
17 Og dertil kommer et helt Liv i Mørke, Sorg og stor Kvide, Sygdom og Kummer.
Also all his dayes hee eateth in darkenes with much griefe, and in his sorowe and anger.
18 Se, hvad der efter mit Skøn er godt og smukt, det er at spise og drikke og nyde det gode under al den Flid, man gør sig under Solen, alle de Levedage Gud giver en; thi det er den Del, man har;
Beholde then, what I haue seene good, that it is comely to eate, and to drinke, and to take pleasure in all his labour, wherein he traueileth vnder the sunne, the whole nomber of the dayes of his life, which God giueth him: for this is his portion.
19 og hver Gang Gud giver et Menneske Rigdom og Gods og sætter ham i Stand til at nyde det, og tage sin Del og glæde sig under sin Flid, da er det en Guds Gave;
Also to euery man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures, and giueth him power to eate thereof, and to take his part, and to enioy his labour: this is the gift of God.
20 thi da tænker han ikke stort på sine Levedage, idet Gud lader ham være optaget af sit Hjertes Glæde.
Surely hee will not much remember the dayes of his life, because God answereth to the ioy of his heart.
