Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.
Uginula muha usmrdi mirisno ulje, a i malo ludosti jače je od mudrosti i časti.
2 A wise man's understanding is at his right hand; but a fool's understanding at his left.
Mudrac kroči pravim putem, a luđak krivim.
3 Yea also, when a fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
Dovoljno je da luđak pođe putem: kako razbora nema, svakomu pokazuje da je lud.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences.
Ako se na te digne vladaočev gnjev, ne ostavljaj svoga mjesta, jer blagost sprečava velike grijehe.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceedeth from a ruler:
Ima zlo što ga vidjeh pod suncem kao prestupak koji dolazi od vladaoca:
6 Folly is set on great heights, and the rich sit in low place.
ludost se podiže na najviša mjesta, a veliki zauzimaju niske položaje.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
Vidjeh sluge na konjima, a knezove gdje idu pješice kao sluge.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.
Tko jamu kopa, u nju pada; i tko ruši zid, ujeda ga zmija.
9 Whoso quarrieth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
Tko lomi kamenje, ono ga ranjava; tko cijepa drva, može nastradati.
10 If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength; but wisdom is profitable to direct.
Kad zatupi željezo i oštrica mu nije nabrušena, tada treba više snage; a nagrada mudrosti je uspjeh.
11 If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then the charmer hath no advantage.
Ako zmija ujede prije čaranja, ništa onda opčaratelj ne koristi.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Pune su miline riječi iz usta mudraca, a bezumnika upropašćuju njegove usne.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness.
On počinje svoje besjede ludošću i svršava ih potpunim bezumljem.
14 A fool also multiplieth words; yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which 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 wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how 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 boy, and thy princes feast in the morning!
Jao tebi, zemljo, kad ti je kralj premlad i knezovi se već ujutro goste.
17 Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a free man, and thy princes eat in due season, in strength, and not in drunkenness!
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 the rafters sink in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.
S lijenosti se ugiblju grede, zbog nebrige prokišnjava kuća.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things.
Ali su gozbe radi zabave i vino uveseljava život, a novci pribavljaju sve.
20 Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought, and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber; for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
Ni u svojoj misli ne kuni kralja, ni u svojoj ložnici ne kuni bogataša, jer će ptice odnijeti glas i kleveta lako okrilati.
