Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Ord af Prædikeren, Davids Søn, Konge i Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, endeløs Tomhed, alt er Tomhed!
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
Hvad Vinding har Mennesket af al den Flid, han gør sig under Solen?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
Slægt gaar, og Slægt kommer, men Jorden staar til evig Tid.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
Sol staar op, og Sol gaar ned og haster igen til sin Opgangs Sted.
6 Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned.
Vinden gaar mod Syd og drejer mod Nord, den drejer atter og atter og vender tilbage til samme Kredsløb.
7 All the streams are going to the sea, and the sea is not full; to a place to where the streams are going, there they are turning back to go.
Alle Bække løber i Havet, men Havet bliver ikke fuldt; det Sted, til hvilket Bækkene løber, did bliver de ved at løbe.
8 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear filled from hearing.
Alting slider sig træt; Mand hører ikke op med at tale, Øjet bliver ikke mæt af at se, Øret ej fuldt af at høre.
9 What [is] that which has been? It [is] that which is, and what [is] that which has been done? It [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
Det, der kommer, er det, der var, det, der sker, er det, der skete; der er slet intet nyt under Solen.
10 There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been in the ages that were before us!
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.
11 There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
Ej mindes de svundne Slægter, og de ny, som kommer engang, skal ej heller mindes af dem, som kommer senere hen.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Jeg, Prædikeren, var Konge over Israel i Jerusalem.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
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.
14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit!
Jeg saa alt, hvad der sker under Solen, og se, det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
Kroget kan ej blive lige, og halvt kan ej blive helt.
16 I spoke with my heart, saying, “I, behold, have magnified and added wisdom above everyone who has been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart has seen wisdom and knowledge abundantly.
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.«
17 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit;
Jeg vendte min Hu til at fatte, hvad der er Visdom og Kundskab, og hvad der er Daarskab og Taabelighed; jeg skønnede, at ogsaa det er Jag efter Vind.
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
Thi megen Visdom megen Græmmelse, øget Kundskab øget Smerte.
