Prædikeren 1
1 Ord af Prædikeren, Davids Søn, Konge i Jerusalem.
The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, endeløs Tomhed, alt er Tomhed!
Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
3 Hvad Vinding har Mennesket af al den Flid, han gør sig under Solen?
What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
4 Slægt går, og Slægt kommer, men Jorden står til evig Tid.
Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
5 Sol står op, og Sol går ned og haster igen til sin Opgangs Sted.
And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
6 Vinden går mod Syd og drejer mod Nord, den drejer atter og atter og vender tilbage til samme Kredsløb.
Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
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 streams, flow into the sea, yet, the sea, is not full, —unto the place whither the streams flow, thither, do they again flow.
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 words, are weak, unable is any man to tell, —not satisfied is the eye by seeing, nor filled is the ear 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 the same that shall be, and, that which hath been done, is the same that shall 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, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, [it is something] which was 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 the thing before, —nor, even of the things after, which shall be, will there be any remembrance, with them who shall come after.
12 Jeg, Prædikeren, var Konge over Israel i Jerusalem.
I, the Proclaimer, 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 gave my heart to seek and to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, —the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,
14 Jeg så alt, hvad der sker under Solen, og se, det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
I saw all the works which were done under the sun, —and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
15 Kroget kan ej blive lige, og halvt kan ej blive helt.
That which is crooked, cannot be straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
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."
Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, —and, my heart, hath seen much 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.
yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, —I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.
18 Thi megen Visdom megen Græmmelse, øget Kundskab øget Smerte.
For, in much wisdom, is much vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
