Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Mrtve muhe lekarnarjevemu mazilu povzročijo, da od sebe širi smrdljiv vonj; tako je majhna neumnost tistemu, ki ima sloves zaradi modrosti in časti.
2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left.
Srce modrega človeka je pri njegovi desnici, toda bedakovo srce pri njegovi levici.
3 Yea also, when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
Da, tudi kadar kdor je bedak, hodi po poti, ga njegova modrost izneverja in vsakemu govori, da je bedak.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rises up against thee, leave not thy place, for deference allays great offenses.
Če vladarjev duh vstane zoper tebe, ne zapusti svojega mesta, kajti ustrežljivost pomirja velike prestopke.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceeds from the ruler:
Je zlo, ki sem ga videl pod soncem, kakor pomota, ki izvira od vladarja:
6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
neumnost je postavljena na visoko dostojanstvo, bogati pa sedijo na nizkem kraju.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and rulers walking like servants upon the earth.
Videl sem služabnike na konjih, prince pa hoditi kakor služabniki po tleh.
8 He who digs a pit shall fall into it, and he who breaks through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.
Kdor koplje jamo, bo padel vanjo, kdorkoli pa lomi ograjo, ga bo pičila kača.
9 He who hews out stones shall be hurt therewith, and he who splits wood is endangered thereby.
Kdorkoli odstranja kamne, bo z njimi poškodovan in kdor cepi drva, bo s tem izpostavljen nevarnosti.
10 If the iron be blunt, and he does not whet the edge, then he must increase strength. But wisdom is advantageous to make right.
Če je železo topo in ne nabrusi ostrine, potem mora vložiti več moči; toda modrost je koristna, da usmerja.
11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
Zagotovo bo kača pičila brez izrekanja uroka in blebetavec ni boljši.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow himself up.
Besede iz ust modrega moža so milostljive, toda ustnice bedaka bodo samega sebe pogoltnile.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Začetek besed iz njegovih ust je nespametnost, konec njegovega govora pa je pogubna norost.
14 A fool also multiplies words; yet man knows not what shall be, and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
Tudi bedak je poln besed. Človek ne more povedati kaj bo, in kaj bo za njim, kdo mu lahko pove?
15 The labor of fools wearies every one of them, for he knows not how to go to the city.
Trud nespametnih izčrpava vsakogar izmed njih, ker ne ve kako iti do mesta.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy rulers feast in the morning!
Gorje tebi, oh dežela, kadar je tvoj kralj otrok in tvoji princi jedo zjutraj!
17 Happy are thou, O land, when thy king is the son of noble men, and thy rulers feast in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
Blagoslovljena si ti, oh dežela, kadar je tvoj kralj sin plemičev in tvoji princi jedo v pravšnjem obdobju, za moč in ne za pijanost!
18 By slothfulness the roof sinks in, and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
Z veliko lenobe zgradba propada in zaradi brezdelja rok kaplja skozi hišo.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes glad the life, and money answers all things.
Praznovanje je narejeno za smeh in vino dela vesele, toda denar odgovarja vsem stvarem.
20 Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought, and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber. For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.
Ne preklinjaj kralja niti v svojih mislih in ne preklinjaj bogatega v svoji spalnici, kajti zračna ptica bo odnesla glas in kar ima peruti, bo povedalo zadevo.
