Verse 3

A man may father a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy life's good things and receives no proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

Other Translations

  • GT, oversatt fra Hebraisk

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, selv om han har mange leveår, men sjelen hans ikke blir mettet med det gode og han ikke får en ordentlig grav, sier jeg at det er bedre med et barn som aldri har fått leve enn å oppleve dette.

  • Moderne oversettelse av Bibelen fra 1611 KJV med hebraisk kontekst

    Om en mann føder hundre barn og lever mange år, slik at hans dager blir mange, men hans sjel ikke fylles med godt, og han ikke får en gravferd, sier jeg at et dødfødt barn er bedre enn han.

  • Norsk King James

    Hvis en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, slik at hans leveår er mange, men han ikke får oppleve noe godt og ikke har gravsted, da er en tidlig fødsel bedre enn han.

  • Modernisert Norsk Bibel 1866

    Selv om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, så hans livsdager blir lange, men han ikke nyter det gode, og han heller ikke får en begravelse, sier jeg at et dødfødt barn er bedre enn han.

  • Oversettelse av hebraiske Bibeltekster til moderne norsk bokmål

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, uansett hvor mange år han lever, men hans sjel ikke mettes av det gode, og han ikke får en grav, sier jeg: Et dødfødt barn har det bedre enn ham.

  • Bibelen: En Moderne Oversettelse av King James Version 1611

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, så dagene av hans liv er mange, men hans sjel ikke fylles med det gode, og han til og med ikke får en begravelse, da sier jeg at en dødfødt er bedre enn han.

  • o3-mini KJV Norsk

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, slik at dagene hans er mange, men hans sjel ikke fylles av det gode, og han heller ikke får en ordentlig begravelse, sier jeg: Det er bedre at han aldri ble født.

  • En Moderne Oversettelse av King James Version 1611 (mar 2025)

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, så dagene av hans liv er mange, men hans sjel ikke fylles med det gode, og han til og med ikke får en begravelse, da sier jeg at en dødfødt er bedre enn han.

  • Lingvistisk bibeloversettelse fra grunntekst

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever i mange år, men ikke nyter det gode eller har en skikkelig grav, sier jeg at en dødfødt er bedre stilt enn ham.

  • GT, oversatt fra hebraisk Aug2024

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, hvor mange hans livsdager enn blir, men hans sjel er ikke tilfreds med det gode, og han heller ikke har gravferd, da sier jeg: Et utkastet foster har det bedre enn han.

  • Original Norsk Bibel 1866

    Dersom en Mand avlede hundrede (Børn), og levede mange Aar, saa hans Aars Dage bleve mange, og hans Sjæl (dog) ikke mættede sig af det Gode, og han heller ingen Begravelse havde, — et utidigt Foster, siger jeg, er bedre end han.

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

  • KJV 1769 norsk

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, slik at dagene i hans år blir mange, men hans sjel ikke finner glede, og han heller ikke får en begravelse, sier jeg at et tidlig født barn er bedre enn han.

  • KJV1611 - Moderne engelsk

    If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, yet his soul is not filled with good, and indeed he has no burial; I say, that a premature birth is better than he.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

  • Norsk oversettelse av Webster

    Hvis en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, slik at dagene i hans liv er mange, men hans sjel fylles ikke med godt, og han dessuten ikke får noen gravferd; sier jeg at et tidlig dødfødt barn er bedre enn han:

  • Norsk oversettelse av Youngs Literal Translation

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, men ikke finner glede, og han ikke får en grav, sier jeg: 'Bedre enn han er et dødfødt barn.'

  • Norsk oversettelse av ASV1901

    Om en mann får hundre barn og lever mange år, slik at dagene hans er mange, men han ikke fylles med det gode, og dessuten ingen begravelse får; da sier jeg at en dødfødt er bedre enn han:

  • Norsk oversettelse av BBE

    Om en mann har hundre barn, og lever lenge så hans år er mange, men hans sjel finner ingen glede i det gode, og han blir ikke æret ved sin død, sier jeg at en dødfødsel er bedre enn ham.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    Yf a man begett an hundreth children, and lyue many yeares, so that his dayes are many in nombre, and yet can not enioye his good, nether be buried: as for him I saye, that an vntymely byrth is better then he.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    If a man beget an hundreth children and liue many yeeres, and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied, & his soule be not satisfied with good things, and he be not buried, I say that an vntimely fruite is better then he.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    If a man beget a hundred children, and lyue many yeres, so that his dayes are many in number, and yet can not enioy his good, neither be buryed: as for him I say, that vntymely birth is better then he.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    If a man beget an hundred [children], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also [that] he have no burial; I say, [that] an untimely birth [is] better than he.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, `Better than he `is' the untimely birth.'

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years– even if he lives a long, long time, but cannot enjoy his prosperity– even if he were to live forever– I would say,“A stillborn child is better off than he is!”

Referenced Verses

  • Job 3:16 : 16 Or why was I not like a stillborn child, like infants who never saw the light?
  • Eccl 4:3 : 3 But better than both is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
  • Jer 22:19 : 19 He will have the burial of a donkey—dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.
  • 2 Kgs 9:35 : 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing of her except the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands.
  • Isa 14:19-20 : 19 but you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a corpse trampled underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land and slain your people. The offspring of evildoers will never be remembered.
  • Gen 47:9 : 9 Jacob replied to Pharaoh, 'The days of my sojourning have been one hundred thirty years. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not compare to the years of the lives of my fathers during their sojourning.'
  • 1 Sam 2:20-21 : 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, ‘May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD.’ Then they would return to their home. 21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
  • Eccl 5:17-19 : 17 Behold, what I have seen is good and fitting: to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all one's labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him, for this is his reward. 18 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and enables them to enjoy it, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 19 For they seldom reflect on the days of their life because God keeps them occupied with joy in their hearts.
  • Jer 8:2 : 2 They will spread them out before the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they loved, served, followed, sought, and worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried but will be like dung on the surface of the ground.
  • Jer 36:30 : 30 Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body will be thrown out to the heat by day and to the frost by night.
  • Matt 26:24 : 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would have been better for him if he had not been born."
  • 2 Kgs 10:1 : 1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s children, saying:
  • 1 Chr 28:5 : 5 Of all my sons—for the LORD has given me many sons—He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the LORD’s kingdom over Israel.
  • 2 Chr 11:21 : 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines. He had married eighteen wives and had sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
  • Esth 5:11 : 11 Haman recounted to them the splendor of his wealth, the number of his sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the officials and servants of the king.
  • Esth 7:10 : 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided.
  • Esth 9:14-15 : 14 So the king commanded that it be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they killed three hundred men in Susa. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
  • Ps 58:8 : 8 May they vanish like water that flows away; when they aim their arrows, may they be blunted.
  • Ps 127:4-5 : 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they confront their enemies at the gate.
  • Prov 17:6 : 6 Children’s children are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their parents.
  • Gen 33:5 : 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, 'Who are these with you?' Jacob replied, 'They are the children whom God has graciously given to your servant.'