Ecclesiastes 4
1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter. And on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter.
Opet stadoh promatrati sva nasilja koja se čine pod suncem, i gle, suze potlačenih, i nikog nema da ih utre; i nasilje iz tlačiteljske ruke, a zaštitnika niotkuda.
2 Therefore I praised the dead who have long been dead more than the living who are yet alive.
Zato sretnima smatram mrtve koji su već pomrli; sretniji su od živih što još žive.
3 Yea, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
A od obojih je sretniji onaj koji još nije postao, koji nije vidio zlih djela što se čine pod suncem.
4 Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Nadalje iskusih da svaki napor i svaki uspjeh pribavlja čovjeku zavist njegova bližnjeg. I to je ispraznost i pusta tlapnja.
5 The fool folds his hands together, and eats his own flesh.
Bezumnik prekriži ruke i izjeda sebe.
6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.
Bolja je puna šaka u miru nego obje pregršti mučna rada i puste tlapnje.
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
I još jednu opazih ispraznost pod suncem:
8 There is one man who is alone, and he has not a second, yea, he has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end of all his labor, nor are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, he says, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a great travail.
Čovjek potpun samac - bez sina, bez brata, i opet nema kraja njegovu trudu; oči mu se ne mogu nasititi blaga; a ne misli: za koga se mučim i uskraćujem dobro sebi? I to je ispraznost i zla briga.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
Bolje je dvojici nego jednome, jer imaju bolju plaću za svoj trud.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and has not another to lift him up.
Padne li jedan, drugi će ga podići; a teško jednomu! Ako padne, nema nikoga da ga podigne.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth, but how can one be warm alone?
Pa ako se i spava udvoje, toplije je; a kako će se samac zagrijati?
12 And if a man prevails against him who is alone, two shall withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
I ako tko udari na jednoga, dvojica će mu se oprijeti; i trostruko se uže ne kida brzo.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who does not know how to receive admonition any more.
Bolji je mladić siromašan a mudar nego kralj star a lud, koji više ne zna za savjet.
14 For he came forth out of prison to be king, yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
Jer mladić može izići iz tamnice i postati kraljem, iako se rodio kao prosjak u svom kraljevstvu.
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, who stood up in his stead.
Opazih kako svi koji žive i hode pod suncem pristaju uz mladića, uz nastupnika koji ga naslijedi.
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all those over whom he was. Yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
On stupa na čelo bezbrojnih podanika i kasniji se naraštaji ne mogahu zbog njega radovati. I to je zacijelo ispraznost i pusta tlapnja.
