Ecclesiastes 4
1 Once again I thought about all the oppression that is done under the sun. And behold, the tears of oppressed people, and they had no one to comfort them! Power was in the hand of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them!
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 considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.
Zato sretnima smatram mrtve koji su već pomrli; sretniji su od živih što još žive.
3 However, more fortunate than both of them is the one who has not yet lived, the one who has not seen any of the evil acts that are 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 Then I saw that every act of labor and every skillful work became the envy of one's neighbor. This also is vapor and an attempt to shepherd 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 does not work, so his food is his own flesh.
Bezumnik prekriži ruke i izjeda sebe.
6 But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.
Bolja je puna šaka u miru nego obje pregršti mučna rada i puste tlapnje.
7 Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.
I još jednu opazih ispraznost pod suncem:
8 There is the kind of man who is alone. He does not have anyone, no son or brother. There is no end to all his work, and his eyes are not satisfied with gaining wealth. He wonders, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vapor, a bad situation.
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 people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.
Bolje je dvojici nego jednome, jer imaju bolju plaću za svoj trud.
10 For if one falls, the other can lift up his friend. However, sorrow follows the one who is alone when he falls if there is no one to lift him up.
Padne li jedan, drugi će ga podići; a teško jednomu! Ako padne, nema nikoga da ga podigne.
11 If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?
Pa ako se i spava udvoje, toplije je; a kako će se samac zagrijati?
12 One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.
I ako tko udari na jednoga, dvojica će mu se oprijeti; i trostruko se uže ne kida brzo.
13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to listen to warnings.
Bolji je mladić siromašan a mudar nego kralj star a lud, koji više ne zna za savjet.
14 This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.
Jer mladić može izići iz tamnice i postati kraljem, iako se rodio kao prosjak u svom kraljevstvu.
15 I saw everyone who was alive and was walking around under the sun, along with a youth who was to rise up to take his place.
Opazih kako svi koji žive i hode pod suncem pristaju uz mladića, uz nastupnika koji ga naslijedi.
16 There is no end to all the people who want to obey the new king, but later many of them will no longer praise him. Surely this situation is vapor and an attempt to shepherd 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.
