Ecclesiastes 4
1 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought vnder the sunne, and beholde the teares of the oppressed, and none comforteth them: and lo, the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them, and none comforteth them.
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 praysed the dead which now are dead, aboue the liuing, which are yet aliue.
Zatorej sem bolj hvalil mrtve, ki so že mrtvi, kakor živeče, ki so še živi.
3 And I count him better then them both, which hath not yet bin: for he hath not seene the euill workes which are wrought vnder the sunne.
Da, kakor oni oboji je boljši tisti, ki še ni bil, ki še ni videl zlobnega dela, ki je storjeno pod soncem.
4 Also I beheld all trauaile, and all perfection of workes that this is ye enuie of a man against his neighbour: this also is vanitie and vexation of spirit.
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 foole foldeth his hands, and eateth vp his owne flesh.
Bedak drži prekrižane roke in jé svoje lastno meso.
6 Better is an handfull with quietnesse, then two handfuls with labour and vexation of spirit.
Boljše je prgišče s spokojnostjo, kakor obe roki napolnjeni z muko in draženjem duha.
7 Againe I returned, and sawe vanitie vnder the sunne.
Potem sem se vrnil in videl ničevost pod soncem.
8 There is one alone, and there is not a second, which hath neither sonne nor brother, yet is there none end of all his trauaile, neither can his eye be satisfied with riches: neither doeth he thinke, For whome doe I trauaile and defraude my soule of pleasure? this also is vanitie, and this is an euill trauaile.
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 then one: for they haue better wages for their labour.
Dva sta boljša kakor eden, zato ker imata dobro nagrado za svoj trud.
10 For if they fal, the one wil lift vp his felow: but wo vnto him that is alone: for he falleth, and there is not a second to lift him vp.
Kajti če padeta, bo vsak dvignil svojega tovariša; toda gorje tistemu, ki je sam, ko pade, kajti nima drugega, da mu pomaga pokonci.
11 Also if two sleepe together, then shall they haue heate: but to one how should there be heate?
Ponovno, če dva ležita skupaj, potem imata toploto, toda kako se lahko nekdo ogreje sam?
12 And if one ouercome him, two shall stand against him: and a threefolde coard is not easily broken.
In če eden zoper njega prevlada, se mu bosta zoperstavila dva in trojna vrvica ni hitro pretrgana.
13 Better is a poore and wise childe, then an olde and foolish King, which will no more be admonished.
Boljši je ubog in moder otrok, kakor star in nespameten kralj, ki noče biti več opomnjen.
14 For out of the prison he commeth forth to reigne: when as he that is borne in his kingdome, is made poore.
Kajti on prihaja iz ječe, da vlada, medtem ko tisti, ki je prav tako rojen v njegovem kraljestvu, postaja ubog.
15 I behelde all the liuing, which walke vnder the sunne, with the second childe, which shall stand vp in his place.
Preudaril sem vse živeče, ki hodijo pod soncem, z drugim otrokom, ki bo vstal namesto njega.
16 There is none ende of all the people, nor of all that were before them, and they that come after, shall not reioyce in him: surely this is also vanitie and vexation of spirit.
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.
