Ecclesiastes 10
1 As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, 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 inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.
Srce modrega človeka je pri njegovi desnici, toda bedakovo srce pri njegovi levici.
3 Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows 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 ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.
Če vladarjev duh vstane zoper tebe, ne zapusti svojega mesta, kajti ustrežljivost pomirja velike prestopke.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun— an error that proceeds from the ruler:
Je zlo, ki sem ga videl pod soncem, kakor pomota, ki izvira od vladarja:
6 Folly is appointed to great heights, but the rich sit in lowly positions.
neumnost je postavljena na visoko dostojanstvo, bogati pa sedijo na nizkem kraju.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.
Videl sem služabnike na konjih, prince pa hoditi kakor služabniki po tleh.
8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.
Kdor koplje jamo, bo padel vanjo, kdorkoli pa lomi ograjo, ga bo pičila kača.
9 The one who quarries stones may be injured by them, and he who splits logs endangers himself.
Kdorkoli odstranja kamne, bo z njimi poškodovan in kdor cepi drva, bo s tem izpostavljen nevarnosti.
10 If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.
Če je železo topo in ne nabrusi ostrine, potem mora vložiti več moči; toda modrost je koristna, da usmerja.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for 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 consume him.
Besede iz ust modrega moža so milostljive, toda ustnice bedaka bodo samega sebe pogoltnile.
13 The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
Začetek besed iz njegovih ust je nespametnost, konec njegovega govora pa je pogubna norost.
14 Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?
Tudi bedak je poln besed. Človek ne more povedati kaj bo, in kaj bo za njim, kdo mu lahko pove?
15 The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
Trud nespametnih izčrpava vsakogar izmed njih, ker ne ve kako iti do mesta.
16 Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.
Gorje tebi, oh dežela, kadar je tvoj kralj otrok in tvoji princi jedo zjutraj!
17 Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes feast at the proper time— 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 Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.
Z veliko lenobe zgradba propada in zaradi brezdelja rok kaplja skozi hišo.
19 A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
Praznovanje je narejeno za smeh in vino dela vesele, toda denar odgovarja vsem stvarem.
20 Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your speech.
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.
