Mudre Izreke 23
1 Kad sjedneš blagovati s moćnikom. dobro pazi što je pred tobom;
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
2 stavljaš nož sebi pod grlo ako si proždrljivac;
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 ne poželi slastica njegovih jer su jelo prijevarno.
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Ne trudi se stjecati bogatstvo; okani se takve misli;
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 usmjeriš li oči prema njemu, njega već nema jer načini sebi krila kao orao i odleti u nebo.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Ne jedi jela zavidnikova, ne čezni za slasticama njegovim,
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
7 jer on je onakav kako u sebi misli: “Jedi i pij”, veli ti, ali mu srce nije s tobom.
For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Zalogaj koji si pojeo izbljuvat ćeš, uzalud ćeš prosut' svoje ljupke riječi.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Pred bezumnikom nemoj govoriti jer prezire tvoje umne riječi.
Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Ne pomiči prastare međe i ne prodiri u polje siročadi,
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
11 jer je moćan njihov osvetnik: branit će njihovo pravo protiv tebe.
For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
12 Obrati pouci srce svoje i uho svoje riječima mudrim.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ne uskraćuj djetetu opomene, jer, udariš li ga šibom, neće umrijeti:
Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou beatest him with the rod, and wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world. (Sheol h7585)
15 Sine moj, kad ti je mudro srce, i ja se od srca veselim;
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
16 i kliče sva nutrina moja kad ti usne govore što je pravo.
Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Neka ti srce ne zavidi grešnicima, nego neka ti uvijek bude u strahu Gospodnjem,
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
18 jer imat ćeš budućnost i tvoja nada neće propasti.
For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Slušaj, sine moj, i mudar budi i ravnim putem vodi srce svoje.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Ne druži se s vinopijama ni sa žderačima mesa,
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
21 jer pijanica i izjelica osiromaše i pospanac se oblači u krpe.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22 Slušaj svoga oca, svoga roditelja, i ne prezri majku kad ostari.
Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Pribavi istinu i ne prodaji je, steci mudrost, pouku i razbor.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Radovat će se otac pravednikov, i roditelj će se mudroga veseliti.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
25 Neka se veseli otac tvoj i majka tvoja, i neka se raduje roditeljka tvoja.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Daj mi, sine moj, srce svoje, i neka oči tvoje raduju putovi moji.
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 Jer bludnica je jama duboka i tuđinka tijesan zdenac.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ona i vreba u zasjedi kao lupež i uvećava broj bezbožnika među ljudima.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
29 Komu: ah? komu: jao? komu: svađe? komu: uzdasi? komu: rane nizašto? komu: zamućene oči?
Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Onima što kasno sjede kod vina, koji su došli kušati vino začinjeno.
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Ne gledaj na vino kad rujno iskri, kad se u čaši svjetlucavo prelijeva: pije se tako glatko,
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
32 a na kraju ujeda kao zmija i žaca kao guja ljutica.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
33 Oči će ti gledati tlapnje i srce govoriti ludosti.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
34 I bit će ti kao da ležiš na pučini morskoj ili kao da ležiš navrh jarbola.
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 “Izbiše me, ali me ne zabolje; istukoše me, ali ne osjetih; kad se otrijeznim, još ću tražiti.”
'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
