Ecclesiastes 6
1 I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
Der er en Ulykke, som jeg saa under Solen, og den er svar over Menneskene:
2 God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
Naar der er en Mand, hvem Gud giver Rigdom og Gods og Ære, og han fattes intet for sin Sjæl af alt det, som han vil begære, og Gud giver ham ikke Magt til at æde deraf, men en fremmed Mand fortærer det: Da er dette Forfængelighed og en slem Lidelse.
3 A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
Dersom en Mand avlede hundrede Børn og levede mange Aar, saa hans Aars Dage bleve mange, og hans Sjæl dog ikke mættedes af det gode, og han heller ingen Begravelse fik: Saa siger jeg, at et utidigt Foster er bedre faren end han.
4 The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
Thi dette kom med Forfængelighed og gaar bort i Mørket, og dets Navn bliver skjult i Mørket.
5 He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.
Det hverken saa eller kendte Sol; det har mere Ro end han.
6 Even if this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
Ja, dersom han end levede tusinde Aar to Gange og ikke saa det gode, farer dog ikke enhver til et Sted?
7 Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.
Alt Menneskets Arbejde er for hans Mund; men Sjælen kan dog ikke fyldes.
8 So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
Thi hvad Fortrin har den vise fremfor Daaren? hvad har den fattige, som forstaar at vandre for de levende?
9 Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
Bedre er, hvad man ser for Øjnene, end Sjælens Begær; ogsaa dette er Forfængelighed og Aandsfortærelse.
10 Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
Hvad en er — hans Navn er allerede nævnt, og det er vitterligt, at han er et Menneske; og han kan ikke trætte med den, som er ham for mægtig.
11 For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
Thi der er mange Ting, de foraarsage megen Forfængelighed; hvad Fordel har et Menneske deraf?
12 Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
Thi hvo ved, hvad der er godt for Mennesket i dette Liv, i hans Forfængeligheds Livsdages Tal, hvilke han tilbringer som en Skygge? thi hvo vil kundgøre et Menneske, hvad der skal ske efter ham under Solen?
