Prædikeren 6
1 Der er et Onde, jeg så under Solen, og som tynger Menneskene hårdt:
Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:
2 Når Gud giver en Mand Rigdom og Gods og Ære, så han intet savner af, hvad han ønsker, og Gud ikke sætter ham i Stand til at nyde det, men en fremmed nyder det, da er dette Tomhed og en slem Lidelse.
A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul—of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, —this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.
3 Om en Mand avler hundrede Børn og lever mange År, så hans Levetid bliver lang, men hans Sjæl ikke mættes af Goder, så siger jeg dog, at et utidigt Foster er bedre faren end han;
Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!
4 thi at det kommer, er Tomhed, og det går bort i Mørke, og i Mørke dølges dets Navn;
For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
5 og det har hverken set eller kendt Sol; det får end ikke en Grav; det hviler bedre end han.
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
6 Om han så levede to Gange tusind År, men ikke skuede Lykke - mon ikke alle farer sammesteds hen?
Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, —is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?
7 Al Menneskets Flid tjener hans Mund, og dog stilles hans Sult aldrig.
All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
8 Thi hvad har den vise forud for Tåben, hvad båder det den arme, der ved at vandre for de levendes Øjne?
For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?
9 Bedre at se med sine Øjne end higende Attrå. Også det er Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
10 Hvad der bliver til er for længst nævnet ved Navn, og det vides i Forvejen, hvad et Menneske bliver til; det kan ikke gå i Rette med ham, der er den stærkeste.
Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is—Son of Earth, —he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.
11 Thi jo flere Ord der bruges, des større bliver Tomheden, og hvad gavner de Mennesket?
Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
12 Thi hvo ved, hvad der båder et Menneske i Livet, det Tal af tomme Levedage han henlever som en Skygge? Thi hvo kan sige et Menneske, hvad der skal ske under Solen efter hans Død?
For who knoweth what is good for a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, —for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?
