Ecclesiastes 9
1 But all this I have laid to my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred does man know, the whole [is] before them.
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.
2 The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.
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.
3 This [is] an evil among all that has been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it—to the dead.
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.
4 But [to] him who is joined to all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion.
Kun for den, der hører til de levendes Flok, er der Håb; thi levende Hund er bedre faren end død Løve.
5 For the living know that they die, and the dead do not know anything, and there is no more reward to them, for their remembrance has been forgotten.
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.
6 Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, has already perished, and they have no more portion for all time in all that has been done under the sun.
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.
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for already has God been pleased with your works.
Så spis da dit Brød med Glæde, drik vel til Mode din Vin; thi din Id har Gud for længst kendt god.
8 At all times let your garments be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your head.
Dine Klæder være altid hvide, lad Olie ikke savnes på dit Hoved!
9 See life with the wife whom you have loved, all the days of the life of your vanity, that He has given to you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for it [is] your portion in life, even of your labor that you are laboring at under the sun.
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.
10 All that your hand finds to do, with your power do, for there is no work, and plan, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol to where you are going. (Sheol h7585)
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)
11 I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skillful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.
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.
12 For even man does not know his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, the sons of man are snared like these at an evil time when it falls on them suddenly.
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.
13 This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.
Også dette Tilfælde af Visdom så jeg under Solen, og det gjorde dybt Indtryk på mig:
14 A little city, and few men in it, and a great king has come to it, and has surrounded it, and has built against it great bulwarks;
Der var en lille By med få Indbyggere, og mod den kom en stor Konge; han omringede den og byggede høje Volde imod den;
15 and there has been found in it a poor wise man, and he has delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!
men der fandtes i Byen en fattig Mand, som var viis, og han frelste den ved sin Visdom. Men ingen mindedes den fattige Mand.
16 And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.”
Da sagde jeg: "Visdom er bedre end Styrke, men den fattiges Visdom agtes ringe, og hans Ord høres ikke."
17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
Vismænds Ord, der høres i Ro, er bedre end en Herskers Råb iblandt Dårer.
18 Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroys much good!
Visdom er bedre end Våben, men en eneste Synder kan ødelægge meget godt.
