Prædikeren 1
1 Ord af Prædikeren, Davids Søn, Konge i Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, endeløs Tomhed, alt er Tomhed!
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
3 Hvad Vinding har Mennesket af al den Flid, han gør sig under Solen?
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4 Slægt går, og Slægt kommer, men Jorden står til evig Tid.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
5 Sol står op, og Sol går ned og haster igen til sin Opgangs Sted.
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
6 Vinden går mod Syd og drejer mod Nord, den drejer atter og atter og vender tilbage til samme Kredsløb.
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7 Alle Bække løber i Havet, men Havet bliver ikke fuldt; det Sted, til hvilket Bækkene løber, did bliver de ved at løbe.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 Alting slider sig træt; Mand hører ikke op med at tale, Øjet bliver ikke mæt af at se, Øret ej fuldt af at høre.
All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Det, der kommer, er det, der var, det, der sker, er det, der skete; der er slet intet nyt under Solen.
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Kommer der noget, om hvilket man siger: "Se, her er da noget nyt!"det har dog for længst været til i Tiderne forud for os
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
11 Ej mindes de svundne Slægter, og de ny, som kommer engang, skal ej heller mindes af dem, som kommer senere hen.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
12 Jeg, Prædikeren, var Konge over Israel i Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Jeg vendte min Hu til at ransage og med Visdom udgranske alt, hvad der sker under Himmelen; det er et ondt Slid, som Gud har givet Menneskens Børn at slide med.
And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
14 Jeg så alt, hvad der sker under Solen, og se, det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
15 Kroget kan ej blive lige, og halvt kan ej blive helt.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Jeg tænkte ved mig selv: "Se, jeg har vundet større og rigere Visdom end alle de, der før mig var over Jerusalem, og mit Hjerte har skuet Visdom og Kundskab i Fylde."
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
17 Jeg vendte min Hu til at fatte, hvad der er Visdom og Kundskab, og hvad der er Dårskab og Tåbelighed; jeg skønnede, at også det er Jag efter Vind.
And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
18 Thi megen Visdom megen Græmmelse, øget Kundskab øget Smerte.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
