Prædikeren 7
1 Godt Navn er bedre end ypperlig Salve, Dødsdag bedre end Fødselsdag;
A good name is better than precious perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of his 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; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to heart.
3 Bedre Græmmelse end Latter, thi er Minerne mørke, har Hjertet det godt.
Sorrow 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 is 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 a fool. This also is vanity.
7 Thi uredelig Vinding gør Vismand til Dåre, og Stikpenge ødelægger Hjertet.
Surely the gain of oppression maketh a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupteth the understanding.
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 the patient in spirit than the proud in 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 angry; for anger 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, “What is the cause 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 estate? yea, it hath an advantage over it for 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, and money is a defence. But knowledge hath the advantage. For wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
13 Se på Guds Værk! Hvo kan rette, hvad han har gjort kroget?
Consider the work of God! Who can make straight that which 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 be joyful; but look for a day of adversity! for this also, as well as the other, hath God appointed, to the end that a man should not find out any thing which 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 my days of vanity. There are righteous men who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men who live long in their 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 over-wise! 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 a fool! Why shouldst 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 shouldst take hold of this; yea, also, from that withdraw not thy hand. For he that feareth God shall escape all those things.
19 Visdom gør Vismand stærkere end ti Magthavere i Byen.
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.
20 Thi intet Menneske er så retfærdigt på Jorden, at han kun gør gode Gerninger og aldrig synder.
Truly there is not a righteous man upon the earth who doeth good and sinneth not.
21 Giv ikke Agt på alle de Ord, Folk siger, at du ikke skal høre din Træl forbande dig;
Give no heed to all the words which 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 many times thine own heart knoweth also that even thou thyself 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?
That which is far off and exceeding deep, who can 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 applied my mind earnestly to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and intelligence, and to know wickedness and folly, yea, foolishness and 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 snares and nets, and her hands bands. He that 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.
Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, putting one thing to another to find knowledge.
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.
That which my soul hath hitherto sought, and I have not found, is this: a man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among a thousand 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.
Lo, this only have I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
