Ecclesiastes 4
1 Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was 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 So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
Zato sretnima smatram mrtve koji su već pomrli; sretniji su od živih što još žive.
3 But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil 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 I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the 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 and consumes his own flesh.
Bezumnik prekriži ruke i izjeda sebe.
6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
Bolja je puna šaka u miru nego obje pregršti mučna rada i puste tlapnje.
7 Again, I saw futility under the sun.
I još jednu opazih ispraznost pod suncem:
8 There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
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 return for their labor.
Bolje je dvojici nego jednome, jer imaju bolju plaću za svoj trud.
10 For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
Padne li jedan, drugi će ga podići; a teško jednomu! Ako padne, nema nikoga da ga podigne.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
Pa ako se i spava udvoje, toplije je; a kako će se samac zagrijati?
12 And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands 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 but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
Bolji je mladić siromašan a mudar nego kralj star a lud, koji više ne zna za savjet.
14 For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
Jer mladić može izići iz tamnice i postati kraljem, iako se rodio kao prosjak u svom kraljevstvu.
15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
Opazih kako svi koji žive i hode pod suncem pristaju uz mladića, uz nastupnika koji ga naslijedi.
16 There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
On stupa na čelo bezbrojnih podanika i kasniji se naraštaji ne mogahu zbog njega radovati. I to je zacijelo ispraznost i pusta tlapnja.
