Propovjednik 9
1 Razmišljah o svemu tome i shvatih kako su i pravednici i mudraci, sa djelima svojim, u Božjoj ruci; i čovjek ne razumije ni ljubavi ni mržnje, i njemu su obje ispraznost.
All these things have I considered in my heart, that I might carefully understand them: there are just men and wise men, and their works are in the hand of God: and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love, or hatred:
2 Svima je ista kob, pravednomu kao i opakom, čistomu i nečistomu, onomu koji žrtvuje kao i onomu koji ne žrtvuje; jednako dobru kao i grešniku, onomu koji se zaklinje kao i onomu koji se boji zakletve.
But all things are kept uncertain for the time to come, because all things equally happen to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him that offereth victims, and to him that despiseth sacrifices. As the good is, so also is the sinner: as the perjured, so he also that sweareth truth.
3 Najgore je od svega što biva pod suncem ovo: ista je kob svima, ljudsko je srce puno zla, ludost je u srcima ljudi dok žive, a potom se pridružuju mrtvima.
This is a very great evil among all things that are done under the sun, that the same things happen to all men: whereby also the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and with contempt while they live, and afterwards they shall be brought down to hell. (questioned)
4 Jer onaj tko je među živima, ima nade: i živ pas više vrijedi nego mrtav lav.
There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Živi barem znaju da će umrijeti, a mrtvi ne znaju ništa niti imaju više nagrade, jer se zaboravlja i spomen na njih.
For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Davno je nestalo i njihove ljubavi, i mržnje, i zavisti, i više nemaju udjela ni u čem što biva pod suncem.
Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy are all perished, neither have they any part in this world, and in the work that is done under the sun.
7 Zato s radošću jedi svoj kruh i vesela srca pij svoje vino, jer se Bogu već prije svidjelo tvoje djelo.
Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.
8 U svako doba nosi haljine bijele i ulja nek' ne ponestane na tvojoj glavi.
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.
9 Uživaj život sa ženom koju ljubiš u sve dane svojega ispraznog vijeka koji ti Bog daje pod suncem, jer to je tvoj udio u životu i u trudu kojim se trudiš pod suncem.
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy unsteady life, which are given to thee under the sun, all the time of thy vanity: for this is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou labourest under the sun.
10 I što god nakaniš učiniti, učini dok možeš, jer nema ni djela, ni umovanja, ni spoznaje, ni mudrosti u Podzemlju u koje ideš. (Sheol h7585)
Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening. (Sheol h7585)
11 Osim toga, vidjeh pod suncem: ne dobivaju trku hitri, ni boj hrabri; nema kruha za mudraca, ni bogatstva za razumne, ni milosti za učene, jer vrijeme i kob sve ih dostiže.
I turned me to another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the learned, nor favour to the skillful: but time and chance in all.
12 Čovjek ne zna svoga časa: kao ribe ulovljene u podmukloj mreži, i kao ptice u zamku uhvaćene, tako se hvataju sinovi ljudski u vrijeme nevolje koja ih iznenada spopada.
Man knoweth not his own end: but as fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare, so men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly come upon them.
13 Još vidjeh pod suncem i ovu “mudrost” koja mi se učini velikom:
This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:
14 Bi jedan malen grad i u njem malo ljudi, a na nj udari velik kralj, opkoli ga i podiže oko njega velike opsadne tornjeve.
A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.
15 Ali se u njemu nađe čovjek siromah mudar koji spasi grad svojom mudrošću, a poslije se nitko nije sjećao toga čovjeka.
Now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom, and no man afterward remembered that poor man.
16 Ipak ja velim: bolja je mudrost nego jakost, ali se ne cijeni mudrost siromaha i ne slušaju njegove riječi.
And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?
17 Blage se riječi mudraca bolje čuju nego vika zapovjednika nad luđacima.
The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.
18 Mudrost više vrijedi nego bojno oružje, ali jedan jedini grešnik pokvari mnogo dobra.
Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.
