Prædikeren 7
1 Godt Navn er bedre end ypperlig Salve, Dødsdag bedre end Fødselsdag;
Better a name, 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
Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.
3 Bedre Græmmelse end Latter, thi er Minerne mørke, har Hjertet det godt.
Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
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 dullards, in the house of mirth.
5 Bedre at høre på Vismands Skænd end at høre på Tåbers Sang.
Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
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 dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
7 Thi uredelig Vinding gør Vismand til Dåre, og Stikpenge ødelægger Hjertet.
For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
8 En Sags Udgang er bedre end dens Indgang, Tålmod er bedre end Hovmod.
Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
9 Vær ikke hastig i dit Sind til at græmmes, thi Græmmelse bor i Tåbers Bryst.
Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
10 Spørg ikke: "Hvoraf kommer det, at de gamle Dage var bedre end vore?" Thi således spørger du ikke med Visdom.
Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
11 Bedre er Visdom end Arv, en Fordel for dem, som skuer Solen;
Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as see the sun.
12 thi Visdom skygger, som Penge skygger, men Kundskabs Fortrin er dette, at Visdom holder sin Mand i Live.
For, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
13 Se på Guds Værk! Hvo kan rette, hvad han har gjort kroget?
Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
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, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
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.
Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.
16 Vær ikke alt for retfærdig og te dig ikke overvættes viis; hvorfor vil du ødelægge dig selv?
Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Vær ikke alt for gudløs og vær ingen Dåre; hvorfor vil du dø i Utide?
Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore 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 well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.
19 Visdom gør Vismand stærkere end ti Magthavere i Byen.
Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
20 Thi intet Menneske er så retfærdigt på Jorden, at han kun gør gode Gerninger og aldrig synder.
For, as for men, there is none righteous in the 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;
Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
22 thi du ved med dig selv, at også du mange Gange har forbandet andre.
For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled 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 proved by wisdom, —I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.
24 Tingenes Grund er langt borte, så dyb, så dyb; hvem kan finde den?
Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, 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.
Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly 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.
I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured 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, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
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.
what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, 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, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
