Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.
Uginula muha usmrdi mirisno ulje, a i malo ludosti jače je od mudrosti i časti.
2 The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.
Mudrac kroči pravim putem, a luđak krivim.
3 Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas be himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.
Dovoljno je da luđak pođe putem: kako razbora nema, svakomu pokazuje da je lud.
4 If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.
Ako se na te digne vladaočev gnjev, ne ostavljaj svoga mjesta, jer blagost sprečava velike grijehe.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:
Ima zlo što ga vidjeh pod suncem kao prestupak koji dolazi od vladaoca:
6 A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.
ludost se podiže na najviša mjesta, a veliki zauzimaju niske položaje.
7 I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.
Vidjeh sluge na konjima, a knezove gdje idu pješice kao sluge.
8 He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Tko jamu kopa, u nju pada; i tko ruši zid, ujeda ga zmija.
9 He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.
Tko lomi kamenje, ono ga ranjava; tko cijepa drva, može nastradati.
10 If the iron be blunt, and be not as before, but be made blunt, with much labour it shall be sharpened: and after industry shall follow wisdom.
Kad zatupi željezo i oštrica mu nije nabrušena, tada treba više snage; a nagrada mudrosti je uspjeh.
11 If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
Ako zmija ujede prije čaranja, ništa onda opčaratelj ne koristi.
12 The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.
Pune su miline riječi iz usta mudraca, a bezumnika upropašćuju njegove usne.
13 The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.
On počinje svoje besjede ludošću i svršava ih potpunim bezumljem.
14 A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Luđak previše govori: čovjek ne poznaje budućnost, i tko mu može kazati što će poslije njega biti?
15 The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not bow to go to the city.
Luđake mori njihov trud; tko ne zna puta, ne može u grad.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning.
Jao tebi, zemljo, kad ti je kralj premlad i knezovi se već ujutro goste.
17 Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.
Blago tebi, zemljo, kad ti je kralj plemenit i knezovi ti u svoje vrijeme blaguju da se okrijepe, a ne da se opiju.
18 By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.
S lijenosti se ugiblju grede, zbog nebrige prokišnjava kuća.
19 For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.
Ali su gozbe radi zabave i vino uveseljava život, a novci pribavljaju sve.
20 Detract not the king, no not in thy thought; and speak not evil of the rich man in thy private chamber: because even the birds of the air will carry thy voice, and he that hath wings will tell what thou hast said.
Ni u svojoj misli ne kuni kralja, ni u svojoj ložnici ne kuni bogataša, jer će ptice odnijeti glas i kleveta lako okrilati.
