Mudre Izreke 23
1 Kad sjedneš blagovati s moćnikom. dobro pazi što je pred tobom;
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 stavljaš nož sebi pod grlo ako si proždrljivac;
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 ne poželi slastica njegovih jer su jelo prijevarno.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Ne trudi se stjecati bogatstvo; okani se takve misli;
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 usmjeriš li oči prema njemu, njega već nema jer načini sebi krila kao orao i odleti u nebo.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Ne jedi jela zavidnikova, ne čezni za slasticama njegovim,
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 jer on je onakav kako u sebi misli: “Jedi i pij”, veli ti, ali mu srce nije s tobom.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Zalogaj koji si pojeo izbljuvat ćeš, uzalud ćeš prosut' svoje ljupke riječi.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Pred bezumnikom nemoj govoriti jer prezire tvoje umne riječi.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Ne pomiči prastare međe i ne prodiri u polje siročadi,
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 jer je moćan njihov osvetnik: branit će njihovo pravo protiv tebe.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Obrati pouci srce svoje i uho svoje riječima mudrim.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ne uskraćuj djetetu opomene, jer, udariš li ga šibom, neće umrijeti:
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Sine moj, kad ti je mudro srce, i ja se od srca veselim;
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 i kliče sva nutrina moja kad ti usne govore što je pravo.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Neka ti srce ne zavidi grešnicima, nego neka ti uvijek bude u strahu Gospodnjem,
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 jer imat ćeš budućnost i tvoja nada neće propasti.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Slušaj, sine moj, i mudar budi i ravnim putem vodi srce svoje.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Ne druži se s vinopijama ni sa žderačima mesa,
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 jer pijanica i izjelica osiromaše i pospanac se oblači u krpe.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Slušaj svoga oca, svoga roditelja, i ne prezri majku kad ostari.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Pribavi istinu i ne prodaji je, steci mudrost, pouku i razbor.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Radovat će se otac pravednikov, i roditelj će se mudroga veseliti.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Neka se veseli otac tvoj i majka tvoja, i neka se raduje roditeljka tvoja.
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 Daj mi, sine moj, srce svoje, i neka oči tvoje raduju putovi moji.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 Jer bludnica je jama duboka i tuđinka tijesan zdenac.
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Ona i vreba u zasjedi kao lupež i uvećava broj bezbožnika među ljudima.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Komu: ah? komu: jao? komu: svađe? komu: uzdasi? komu: rane nizašto? komu: zamućene oči?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 Onima što kasno sjede kod vina, koji su došli kušati vino začinjeno.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Ne gledaj na vino kad rujno iskri, kad se u čaši svjetlucavo prelijeva: pije se tako glatko,
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 a na kraju ujeda kao zmija i žaca kao guja ljutica.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Oči će ti gledati tlapnje i srce govoriti ludosti.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 I bit će ti kao da ležiš na pučini morskoj ili kao da ležiš navrh jarbola.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 “Izbiše me, ali me ne zabolje; istukoše me, ali ne osjetih; kad se otrijeznim, još ću tražiti.”
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
