Prædikeren 7
1 Godt Navn er bedre end ypperlig Salve, Dødsdag bedre end Fødselsdag;
A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 bedre at gå til et Sørgehus end at gå til et Gildehus; thi hist er alle Menneskers Ende, og de levende bør tage det til Hjerte
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
3 Bedre Græmmelse end Latter, thi er Minerne mørke, har Hjertet det godt.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 De vises Hjerte er i Sørgehuset. Tåbernes Hjerte i Glædeshuset.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
5 Bedre at høre på Vismands Skænd end at høre på Tåbers Sang.
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
6 Som Tjørnekvistes Knitren under Gryden er Tåbers Latter; også det er Tomhed.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Thi uredelig Vinding gør Vismand til Dåre, og Stikpenge ødelægger Hjertet.
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 En Sags Udgang er bedre end dens Indgang, Tålmod er bedre end Hovmod.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at græmmes, thi Græmmelse bor i Tåbers Bryst.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Spørg ikke: "Hvoraf kommer det, at de gamle Dage var bedre end vore?" Thi således spørger du ikke med Visdom.
Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11 Bedre er Visdom end Arv, en Fordel for dem, som skuer Solen;
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
12 thi Visdom skygger, som Penge skygger, men Kundskabs Fortrin er dette, at Visdom holder sin Mand i Live.
For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
13 Se på Guds Værk! Hvo kan rette, hvad han har gjort kroget?
Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
14 Vær ved godt Mod på den gode Dag og indse på den onde Dag, at Gud skabte denne såvel som hin, for at Mennesket ikke skal finde noget efter sig.
In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
15 Begge Dele så jeg i mine tomme Dage: Der er retfærdige, som omkommer i deres Retfærdighed, og der er gudløse, som lever længe i deres Ondskab.
All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 Vær ikke alt for gudløs og vær ingen Dåre; hvorfor vil du dø i Utide?
Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 Det bedste er, at du fastholder det ene og ikke slipper det andet; thi den, der frygter Gud, vil undgå begge Farer.
It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
19 Visdom gør Vismand stærkere end ti Magthavere i Byen.
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
20 Thi intet Menneske er så retfærdigt på Jorden, at han kun gør gode Gerninger og aldrig synder.
Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21 Giv ikke Agt på alle de Ord, Folk siger, at du ikke skal høre din Træl forbande dig;
Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
22 thi du ved med dig selv, at også du mange Gange har forbandet andre.
For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 Alt dette ransagede jeg med Visdom; jeg tænkte: "Jeg vil vorde viis." Men Visdom holdt sig langt fra mig;
All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Tingenes Grund er langt borte, så dyb, så dyb; hvem kan finde den?
Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
25 Jeg tog mig for at vende min Hu til Kundskab og Granskning og til at søge efter Visdom og sikker Viden og til at kende, at Gudløshed er Tåbelighed, Dårskab Vanvid.
I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
26 Og beskere end Døden fandt jeg Kvinden, thi hun er et Fangegarn; hendes Hjerfe er et Net og hendes Arme Lænker. Den, som er Gud kær, undslipper hende, men Synderen bliver hendes Fange.
and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 Se, det fandt jeg ud, sagde Prædikeren, ved at lægge det ene til det andet for at drage min Slutning.
See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
28 Hvad min Sjæl stadig søgte, men ikke fandt, er dette: Een Mand fandt jeg blandt tusind, men en Kvinde fandt jeg ikke i hele Flokken.
which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Dog se, det fandt jeg, at Gud har skabt Menneskene, som de bør være; men de har så mange sære Ting for.
Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
