Ecclesiastes 4
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
4 Again I saw all the oppressions that are practised under the sun. Look, the tears of the oppressed—with no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power—with no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, who are still alive; 3 but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.[a]
5 Fools fold their hands
and consume their own flesh.
6 Better is a handful with quiet
than two handfuls with toil,
and a chasing after wind.[b]
7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 the case of solitary individuals, without sons or brothers; yet there is no end to all their toil, and their eyes are never satisfied with riches. ‘For whom am I toiling’, they ask, ‘and depriving myself of pleasure?’ This also is vanity and an unhappy business.
The Value of a Friend
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king, who will no longer take advice. 14 One can indeed come out of prison to reign, even though born poor in the kingdom. 15 I saw all the living who, moving about under the sun, follow that[c] youth who replaced the king;[d] 16 there was no end to all those people whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.[e]
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 Or a feeding on wind. See Hos 12.1
- Ecclesiastes 4:6 Or a feeding on wind. See Hos 12.1
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 Heb the second
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 Heb him
- Ecclesiastes 4:16 Or a feeding on wind. See Hos 12.1
Prædikeren 4
Bibelen på hverdagsdansk
Livets uretfærdighed
4 Dernæst iagttog jeg, hvordan folk ud over jorden blev undertrykt. Jeg så deres tårer, men ingen hjalp dem, for det var undertrykkerne, der havde magten. 2 Da tænkte jeg: „De døde er heldige, for de har det bedre end de levende. 3 Og allerheldigst er de, som ikke er født endnu og derfor ikke har oplevet ondskaben på jorden!”
Menneskets motivation for at arbejde
4 Jeg indså også, at når folk arbejder hårdt for at opnå succes, er det fordi de er motiveret af ønsket om at overgå hinanden. Men også det er meningsløst. 5 Tåber derimod sidder med foldede hænder uden at arbejde, og derfor lider de sult. 6 De vil hellere tage det roligt og sulte end slide sig ihjel uden at kunne se meningen med det.
7 En anden meningsløshed så jeg på jorden: 8 Mange bor alene uden børn eller søskende, men alligevel slider de i det fra morgen til aften. De kan aldrig få rigdom nok. Mon de tænker: „Hvorfor slider jeg mig selv op i stedet for at nyde livet?” Hvor er det tomt og meningsløst!
Ensomhed og fællesskab
9 Det er godt, når to deles om arbejdet, for så går det lettere. 10 Hvis den ene falder, kan den anden hjælpe ham op. Men den, der er alene og falder, har ingen til at hjælpe sig op.
11 Og hvis man ligger to i samme seng, kan man lettere holde varmen, end hvis man ligger alene. 12 Den, der kæmper alene, er lettere at overvinde end to, der kæmper og forsvarer hinanden. Men tre er endnu bedre, for en trestrenget snor brister ikke så let.
Berømmelse giver ikke livet mening
13 En, der er ung og fattig, men klog, er bedre stillet end en gammel konge, som nægter at tage imod råd. 14 Sådan en ung person kan være født ind i fattigdommens fængsel og alligevel drive det til noget, måske endda blive konge. 15 Alle er ivrige efter at hjælpe ham og følger ham begejstret. 16 Han kan blive konge over et stort folk, men alligevel blive forkastet af den næste generation. Også det er meningsløst.
Ærefrygt for Gud
17 Når du går til Guds hus, så tænk over dine handlinger. Det er bedre at lytte og tage ved lære end at bringe ofre som en tåbe, der ikke kender sine egne fejl.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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