Prædikeren 9

1 Ja, alt dette lagde jeg mig på Sinde, og mit hjerte indså det alt sammen: at de retfærdige og de vise og deres Gerninger er i Guds Hånd. Hverken om Kærlighed eller Had kan Menneskene vide noget; alt, hvad der er dem for Øje, er Tomhed.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this; that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.

2 Thi alle får en og samme Skæbne, retfærdig og gudløs, god og ond, ren og uren, den, som ofrer, og den, som ikke ofrer; det går den gode som Synderen, den sværgende som den, der skyr at sværge.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 Det er det, der er Fejlen ved alt, hvad der sker under Solen, at alle får en og samme Skæbne; derfor er også Menneskebørnenes Hjerte fuldt af ondt, og der er Dårskab i deres Hjerte Livet igennem, og tilsidst må de ned til de døde.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.

4 Kun for den, der hører til de levendes Flok, er der Håb; thi levende Hund er bedre faren end død Løve.

For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 Thi de levende ved dog, at de skal dø, men de døde ved ingenting, og Løn har de ikke mere i Vente; thi Mindet om dem slettes ud.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Både deres Kærlighed og deres Had og deres Misundelse er forlængst borte, og de får ingen Sinde mere Lod og Del i noget af det, som sker under Solen.

As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7 Så spis da dit Brød med Glæde, drik vel til Mode din Vin; thi din Id har Gud for længst kendt god.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

8 Dine Klæder være altid hvide, lad Olie ikke savnes på dit Hoved!

Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack ointment.

9 Nyd Livet med den Kvinde, du elsker, alle dine tomme Levedage, som gives dig under Solen; thi det er din Lod og Del af Livet og af den Flid, du gør dig under Solen.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.

10 Gør efter Evne alt, hvad din Hånd finder Styrke til; thi der er hverken Virke eller Tanke eller Kundskab eller Visdom i Dødsriget, hvor du stævner hen. (Sheol h7585)

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)

11 Og atter så jeg under Solen, at Hurtigløberen ikke er Herre over Løbet eller Heltene over Kampen, ej heller de vise over Brødet, ej heller de kløgtige over Rigdom, ej heller de kloge over Yndest, men alle er de bundet af Tid og Tilfælde.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but fame and chance happeneth to them all.

12 Thi et Menneske kender lige så lidt sin Tid som Fisk, der fanges i det slemme Garn, eller Fugle, der hildes i Snaren; ligesom disse fanges Menneskens Børn i Ulykkens Stund, når den brat falder over dem.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so, are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 Også dette Tilfælde af Visdom så jeg under Solen, og det gjorde dybt Indtryk på mig:

I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me:

14 Der var en lille By med få Indbyggere, og mod den kom en stor Konge; han omringede den og byggede høje Volde imod den;

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 men der fandtes i Byen en fattig Mand, som var viis, og han frelste den ved sin Visdom. Men ingen mindedes den fattige Mand.

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Da sagde jeg: "Visdom er bedre end Styrke, men den fattiges Visdom agtes ringe, og hans Ord høres ikke."

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 Vismænds Ord, der høres i Ro, er bedre end en Herskers Råb iblandt Dårer.

The words of the wise [spoken] in quiet are heard more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Visdom er bedre end Våben, men en eneste Synder kan ødelægge meget godt.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.