Predikaren 7
1 Ett godt rykte är bättre än god salva, och dödsens dag bättre än födelsedagen.
[Having] a good reputation [MTY] is better than fine perfume, and the day that we die is better than the day that we are born.
2 Bättre är gå i sorgahus än i gästabådshus; uti det ena är alla menniskors ändalykt, och den lefvande lägger det uppå hjertat.
It is better to go to a house where people are mourning [about someone who has died] than to go to a house where people are feasting, because everyone will die some day, and people who are alive should think seriously [IDM] about that.
3 Sörja är bättre än le; ty genom sorg varder hjertat förbättradt.
It is better to be sad than to be [always] laughing, because being sad can cause us to think more about how we should conduct our lives [IDM].
4 De visas hjerta är i sorgahuset, och dårars hjerta i glädjehuset.
Wise [people] who go to where others are mourning think about [the fact that some day they also will] die, but foolish people [PRS] [do not think about that]; they are always [MTY] laughing.
5 Bättre är höra dens visas straff, än att höra dårars sång.
It is better to pay attention to [someone who is wise] you than to listen to the songs of a foolish person.
6 Ty dårars löje är såsom sprakande af törne under grytone; och det är ock fåfängelighet.
By [listening to] foolish people laughing we will not [learn any more than by listening to] the crackling of thorns [being burned] under a pot. Listening to fools is senseless.
7 En genvördig gör en visan oviljog, och förderfvar ett mildt hjerta.
When wise people say to others, “You must pay me a lot of money for me to protect you,” that causes those wise people to become foolish, and [accepting] bribes causes people to become unable to do what is fair/just.
8 Änden på ett ting är bättre än dess begynnelse; en tålig ande är bättre än en hög ande.
Finishing something is better than starting something, and being patient is better than being proud.
9 Var icke hastig till vrede; ty vreden hvilar uti ens dåras hjerta.
Do not quickly (lose your temper/react to things angrily), because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.
10 Säg icke: Hvad är det, att de förra dagar voro bättre än denne? Ty du frågar sådant icke visliga.
Do not say, “Things were a lot better [RHQ] previously,” because it is people who are not wise who say that.
11 Vishet är god mild arfvedelen, och hjelper, att en kan glädja sig af solene.
Being wise is better than inheriting [valuable things]; being wise provides lasting benefits for every person on the earth [MTY].
12 Ty vishet beskärmar; penningar beskärma ock; men visheten gifver lif honom, som henne hafver.
We are [sometimes] protected by being wise like we are [sometimes] protected by having a lot of money, but being wise is better [than having a lot of money], [because] being wise prevents us from [doing foolish things that would] cause us to die.
13 Se på Guds verk; ty ho kan rätta det han gör krokot?
Think [carefully about] what God has done. Certainly no one can [RHQ] cause to become straight the things that God has caused to be crooked.
14 I goda dagar var glad, och den onda dagen tag ock till godo; ty denna skapade Gud jemte den andra, att menniskan icke skall veta hvad tillkommande är.
When things are going well for you, be happy, and when things are not going well for you, remember that God is the one who causes good things to happen and who also causes disasters.
15 Jag hafver allahanda sett i mine fåfängelighets tid: Det är en rättfärdig, och förgås i sine rättfärdighet; och det är en ogudaktig, som länge lefver i sine ondsko.
During all the time that I have been alive I have seen a lot of [HYP] things that seem senseless. I have seen righteous people die [while they are still young], and I have seen wicked people remain alive for a very long time in [spite of] their continuing to be wicked.
16 Var icke allt för mycket rättfärdig, ej heller för mycket vis, att du icke förderfvar dig.
[So] do not think that you are very righteous and do not think that you are very wise, [because if you think those things], you will destroy yourself.
17 Var icke allt för mycket ogudaktig, och galnas icke, att du icke dör i otid.
If you do what is evil or do what is foolish, you might die while you are still young.
18 Det är godt att du detta fattar, och att du ock icke släpper det andra utu dina hand; ty den der Gud fruktar, han undkommer det allt.
Continue to avoid doing what is evil and doing what is foolish; avoid doing both of those things by continually revering God.
19 Vishet stärker den visa, mer än tio väldige, som i stadenom äro.
If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city.
20 Ty det är ingen menniska på jordene, som godt gör, och icke syndar.
There is no one in this world who [always] does what is right and who never sins.
21 Lägg ock icke på hjertat allt det man säger; på det du icke skall höra din tjenare banna dig.
Do not pay attention [IDM] to everything that people say, because if you do that, you might hear your servant cursing you.
22 Ty ditt hjerta vet, att du ock ofta androm bannat hafver.
You know that you have also cursed other people.
23 Sådant allt hafver jag försökt visliga. Jag tänkte: Jag vill vara vis; men visheten kom långt ifrå mig.
I said [to myself] that I would use my wisdom to study all the things [that I have written about], but I was not able to do it successfully.
24 Det är fjerran, hvad skall det varda? Och det är fast djupt, ho kan finnat?
Wisdom seems to be far from me; there is no one [RHQ] who can truly understand everything.
25 Jag vände mitt hjerta till att förfara, och uppspörja, och uppsöka vishet och konst, till att förfara de ogudaktigas dårhet, och de galnas villfarelse;
But I decided to investigate things and by my wisdom try to understand the reason for everything. I also wanted to understand why people act wickedly and why they act very foolishly.
26 Och fann, att en sådana qvinna, hvilkens hjerta är nät och snara, och hennes händer bojor äro, är bittrare än döden. Den Gudi täck är, han undkommer henne; men syndaren varder genom henne fången.
[One thing I learned was that] (allowing a woman to seduce you/having sex with a woman to whom you are not married) is worse than dying. A woman who tries to seduce men is [as dangerous as] a trap [MET]. [If you allow her to put] her arms [around you, it will be as though she will be fastening you with] chains. Women like that will capture sinful men, but men who please God will escape from such women.
27 Si, det hafver jag funnit, säger Predikaren, hvart efter det andra, att jag måtte finna konst.
This is what I have learned: I tried to learn more and more about things to try to find out the reason for everything,
28 Och min själ söker ännu, och hafver intet funnit. Ibland tusende hafver jag funnit en man; men ingen qvinno hafver jag funnit ibland alla.
and I continued to try to learn more, but I could not find [all that I was searching for]. [But] one thing that I found out was that among 1,000 [people] I found one righteous man, but I did not find even one righteous woman.
29 Allena skåda härtill: Jag hafver funnit, att Gud hafver gjort menniskona rätta; men de söka många konster.
[But] I did learn one thing: When God created people, they were righteous, but they have found many ways to do many evil things.
