Propovjednik 7
1 Bolji je dobar glas nego skupocjeno ulje, i smrtni dan nego dan rođenja.
Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
2 Bolje je ići u kuću gdje je žalost nego u kuću gdje je gozba, jer ondje je kraj svakoga čovjeka, i tko je živ, nek' primi k srcu!
Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his heart.
3 Bolji je jad nego smijeh, jer pod žalosnim licem srce je radosno.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
4 Srce je mudrih ljudi u kući žalosti, a srce bezumnih u kući veselja.
The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5 Bolje je poslušati ukor mudra čovjeka negoli slušati hvalospjev luđaka.
Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
6 Jer kao prasak trnja ispod kotla, takav je smijeh luđaka, i to je ispraznost.
For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7 Jer smijeh od mudraca čini luđaka i veselje kvari srce.
Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Bolji je svršetak stvari nego njezin početak i bolja je strpljivost od oholosti.
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
9 Ne nagli u srdžbu, jer srdžba počiva u srcu luđaka.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
10 Ne pitaj zašto su negdašnja vremena bila bolja od ovih, jer to nije mudro pitanje.
Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
11 Mudrost je dragocjena baština i probitak onima na koje sunce sja.
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
12 Jer kao što je novac zaštita, tako je i mudrost; a prednost je mudrosti u tome što izbavlja onoga tko je ima.
For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
13 Pogledaj djela Božja; tko može ispraviti što je on iskrivio?
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
14 U sretan dan uživaj sreću, a u zao dan razmišljaj: Bog je stvorio jedno kao i drugo - da čovjek ne otkrije ništa od svoje budućnosti.
In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.
15 Svašta vidjeh u svojemu ništavnom životu: pravednik propada unatoč svojoj pravednosti, a bezbožnik i dalje živi unatoč svojoj bezbožnosti.
The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Ne budi prepravedan i ne budi premudar; zašto da se uništavaš?
Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
17 Ne budi preopak i ne budi lud; zašto bi umro prije vremena?
Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?
18 Dobro je da držiš jedno, ali ni drugo ne puštaj iz ruke, jer tko se boji Boga, izbavlja se od svega.
[It is] good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
19 Mudrost mudraca veću moć daje gradu nego deset mogućnika.
The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 Na zemlji nema pravednika koji, čineći dobro, ne bi nikad sagriješio.
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.
21 I još jedno: nemoj se obazirati na govorkanje; čut ćeš možda da te sluga tvoj proklinjao;
Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
22 a zna tvoje srce kako si i ti često druge proklinjao.
For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.
23 Sve sam to mudrošću iskušao. Mislio sam da sam mudar, ali mi je mudrost bila nedokučiva.
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
24 Ono što jest, daleko je i duboko, tako duboko - tko da i pronađe?
Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
25 I još jednom pokušah istražiti i shvatiti mudrost i smisao, da spoznam opačinu kao ludost, a ludost kao bezumlje.
I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
26 Otkrih da ima nešto gorče od smrti - žena, ona je zamka, srce joj je mreža, a ruke okovi; tko je Bogu drag, izmiče joj, a grešnik je njezin sužanj.
And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
27 Eto, to sam sve u svemu otkrio, veli Propovjednik.
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
28 I još sam tražio, ali bez uspjeha. Nađoh čovjeka - jednog od tisuću, a žene ne nađoh među svima nijedne.
(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
29 Otkrih ovo: Bog stvori čovjeka jednostavnim, a on snuje nebrojene spletke.
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.
