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, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
Ispraznost nad ispraznošću, veli Propovjednik, ispraznost nad ispraznošću, sve je ispraznost!
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
Kakva je korist čovjeku od svega truda njegova kojim se trudi pod suncem?
4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
Jedan naraštaj odlazi, drugi dolazi, a zemlja uvijek ostaje.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
Sunce izlazi, sunce zalazi i onda hiti svojem mjestu odakle izlazi.
6 The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth 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: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither 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 toil; none can express 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 hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new 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 whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already 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 former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
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 search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves 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 pursuit of the 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 mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much 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 the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the 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 vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Mnogo mudrosti - mnogo jada; što više znanja, to više boli.
