< Ecclesiastes 1 >

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Misli Propovjednika, Davidova sina, kralja u Jeruzalemu.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Ispraznost nad ispraznošću, veli Propovjednik, ispraznost nad ispraznošću, sve je ispraznost!
3 What profit has man from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
Kakva je korist čovjeku od svega truda njegova kojim se trudi pod suncem?
4 One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth abides forever.
Jedan naraštaj odlazi, drugi dolazi, a zemlja uvijek ostaje.
5 The sun also arises, and the sun goes down and hastens to its place where it arises.
Sunce izlazi, sunce zalazi i onda hiti svojem mjestu odakle izlazi.
6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually in its course, and the wind returns again to its circuits.
Vjetar puše na jug i okreće se na sjever, kovitla sad ovamo sad onamo i vraća se u novom vrtlogu.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from where the rivers come, there they go again.
Sve rijeke teku u more i more se ne prepunja; odakle teku rijeke, onamo se vraćaju da ponovo počnu svoj tok.
8 All things are full of weariness, man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Sve je mučno. Nitko ne može reći da se oči nisu do sita nagledale i uši dovoljno naslušale.
9 That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done. And there is no new thing under the sun.
Što je bilo, opet će biti, i što se činilo, opet će se činiti, i nema ništa novo pod suncem.
10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
Ima li išta o čemu bi se moglo reći: “Gle, ovo je novo!” Sve je već davno prije nas postojalo.
11 There is no remembrance of the former things, nor shall there be any remembrance of the latter that are to come, among those who shall come after.
Samo, od prošlosti ne ostade ni spomena, kao što ni u budućnosti neće biti sjećanja na ono što će poslije doći.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ja, Propovjednik, bijah kralj nad Izraelom u Jeruzalemu.
13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven. It is a great tribulation that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
I trudih se da mudrošću istražim i dokučim sve što biva pod nebom; o, kako mučnu zadaću zadade Bog sinovima ljudskim.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Vidjeh sve što se čini pod suncem: kakve li ispraznosti i puste tlapnje!
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Što je krivo, ne može se ispraviti; čega nema, izbrojiti se ne može.
16 I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten for me great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yea, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Rekoh onda sam sebi: “Gle, stekao sam veću mudrost nego bilo tko od mojih prethodnika u Jeruzalemu. Duh moj sabrao je golemu mudrost i znanje.”
17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
Mudrost pomnjivo proučih, a tako i glupost i ludost, ali sam spoznao da je to pusta tlapnja.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Mnogo mudrosti - mnogo jada; što više znanja, to više boli.

< Ecclesiastes 1 >