¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

¹Ord af Prædikeren, Davids Søn, Konge i Jerusalem.

²“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

²Endeløs Tomhed, sagde Prædikeren, endeløs Tomhed, alt er Tomhed!

³What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

³Hvad Vinding har Mennesket af al den Flid, han gør sig under Solen?

⁴One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

⁴Slægt går, og Slægt kommer, men Jorden står til evig Tid.

⁵The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

⁵Sol står op, og Sol går ned og haster igen til sin Opgangs Sted.

⁶The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

⁶Vinden går mod Syd og drejer mod Nord, den drejer atter og atter og vender tilbage til samme Kredsløb.

⁷All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

⁷Alle Bække løber i Havet, men Havet bliver ikke fuldt; det Sted, til hvilket Bækkene løber, did bliver de ved at løbe.

⁸All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁸Alting slider sig træt; Mand hører ikke op med at tale, Øjet bliver ikke mæt af at se, Øret ej fuldt af at høre.

⁹That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

⁹Det, der kommer, er det, der var, det, der sker, er det, der skete; der er slet intet nyt under Solen.

¹⁰Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new?” It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

¹⁰Kommer der noget, om hvilket man siger: "Se, her er da noget nyt!"det har dog for længst været til i Tiderne forud for os

¹¹There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

¹¹Ej mindes de svundne Slægter, og de ny, som kommer engang, skal ej heller mindes af dem, som kommer senere hen.

¹²I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹²Jeg, Prædikeren, var Konge over Israel i Jerusalem.

¹³I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹³Jeg 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.

¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁴Jeg så alt, hvad der sker under Solen, og se, det er alt sammen Tomhed og Jag efter Vind.

¹⁵That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁵Kroget kan ej blive lige, og halvt kan ej blive helt.

¹⁶I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁶Jeg 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."

¹⁷I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁷Jeg 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.

¹⁸For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

¹⁸Thi megen Visdom megen Græmmelse, øget Kundskab øget Smerte.