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.
Tako sem se vrnil in preudaril vsa zatiranja, ki so storjena pod soncem in gledal solze tistih, ki so bili zatirani in niso imeli tolažnika in je bila moč na strani njihovih zatiralcev, toda niso imeli nobenega tolažnika.
2 Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive;
Zatorej sem bolj hvalil mrtve, ki so že mrtvi, kakor živeče, ki so še živi.
3 yea, better than them both [did I esteem] him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Da, kakor oni oboji je boljši tisti, ki še ni bil, ki še ni videl zlobnega dela, ki je storjeno pod soncem.
4 Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ponovno, preudaril sem vso muko in vsako pravilno delo, da zaradi tega človeku zavidajo njegovi sosedi. Tudi to je ničevost in draženje duha.
5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Bedak drži prekrižane roke in jé svoje lastno meso.
6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.
Boljše je prgišče s spokojnostjo, kakor obe roki napolnjeni z muko in draženjem duha.
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
Potem sem se vrnil in videl ničevost pod soncem.
8 There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, [saith he], do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
Tam je nekdo sam in ni drugega, da, nima niti otroka niti brata, vendar ni konca vsemu njegovemu trudu, niti njegovo oko ni nasičeno z bogastvi, niti ne pravi: »Za koga se trudim in svoji duši kratim dobro?« Tudi to je ničevost, da, to je boleča muka.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
Dva sta boljša kakor eden, zato ker imata dobro nagrado za svoj trud.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.
Kajti če padeta, bo vsak dvignil svojega tovariša; toda gorje tistemu, ki je sam, ko pade, kajti nima drugega, da mu pomaga pokonci.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm [alone]?
Ponovno, če dva ležita skupaj, potem imata toploto, toda kako se lahko nekdo ogreje sam?
12 And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
In če eden zoper njega prevlada, se mu bosta zoperstavila dva in trojna vrvica ni hitro pretrgana.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.
Boljši je ubog in moder otrok, kakor star in nespameten kralj, ki noče biti več opomnjen.
14 For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
Kajti on prihaja iz ječe, da vlada, medtem ko tisti, ki je prav tako rojen v njegovem kraljestvu, postaja ubog.
15 I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.
Preudaril sem vse živeče, ki hodijo pod soncem, z drugim otrokom, ki bo vstal namesto njega.
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ni konca vsemu ljudstvu, celó vseh, ki so bili pred njimi. Tudi tisti, ki pridejo potem, se ne bodo veselili v njem. Zagotovo je tudi to ničevost in draženje duha.
