Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than costly perfume, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
Bolji je dobar glas nego skupocjeno ulje, i smrtni dan nego dan rođenja.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
Bolje je ići u kuću gdje je žalost nego u kuću gdje je gozba, jer ondje je kraj svakoga čovjeka, i tko je živ, nek' primi k srcu!
3 Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.
Bolji je jad nego smijeh, jer pod žalosnim licem srce je radosno.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of feasting.
Srce je mudrih ljudi u kući žalosti, a srce bezumnih u kući veselja.
5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to the song of fools.
Bolje je poslušati ukor mudra čovjeka negoli slušati hvalospjev luđaka.
6 For like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
Jer kao prasak trnja ispod kotla, takav je smijeh luđaka, i to je ispraznost.
7 Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Jer smijeh od mudraca čini luđaka i veselje kvari srce.
8 Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
Bolji je svršetak stvari nego njezin početak i bolja je strpljivost od oholosti.
9 Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts of fools.
Ne nagli u srdžbu, jer srdžba počiva u srcu luđaka.
10 Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
Ne pitaj zašto su negdašnja vremena bila bolja od ovih, jer to nije mudro pitanje.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits those who see the sun.
Mudrost je dragocjena baština i probitak onima na koje sunce sja.
12 For wisdom provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
Jer kao što je novac zaštita, tako je i mudrost; a prednost je mudrosti u tome što izbavlja onoga tko je ima.
13 Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he has made crooked?
Pogledaj djela Božja; tko može ispraviti što je on iskrivio?
14 When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming after him.
U sretan dan uživaj sreću, a u zao dan razmišljaj: Bog je stvorio jedno kao i drugo - da čovjek ne otkrije ništa od svoje budućnosti.
15 I have seen many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
Svašta vidjeh u svojemu ništavnom životu: pravednik propada unatoč svojoj pravednosti, a bezbožnik i dalje živi unatoč svojoj bezbožnosti.
16 Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?
Ne budi prepravedan i ne budi premudar; zašto da se uništavaš?
17 Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should you die before your time?
Ne budi preopak i ne budi lud; zašto bi umro prije vremena?
18 It is good that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
Dobro je da držiš jedno, ali ni drugo ne puštaj iz ruke, jer tko se boji Boga, izbavlja se od svega.
19 Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
Mudrost mudraca veću moć daje gradu nego deset mogućnika.
20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
Na zemlji nema pravednika koji, čineći dobro, ne bi nikad sagriješio.
21 Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
I još jedno: nemoj se obazirati na govorkanje; čut ćeš možda da te sluga tvoj proklinjao;
22 Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often cursed others.
a zna tvoje srce kako si i ti često druge proklinjao.
23 All this have I proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
Sve sam to mudrošću iskušao. Mislio sam da sam mudar, ali mi je mudrost bila nedokučiva.
24 Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find it?
Ono što jest, daleko je i duboko, tako duboko - tko da i pronađe?
25 I turned my heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is madness.
I još jednom pokušah istražiti i shvatiti mudrost i smisao, da spoznam opačinu kao ludost, a ludost kao bezumlje.
26 I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
Otkrih da ima nešto gorče od smrti - žena, ona je zamka, srce joj je mreža, a ruke okovi; tko je Bogu drag, izmiče joj, a grešnik je njezin sužanj.
27 “Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
Eto, to sam sve u svemu otkrio, veli Propovjednik.
28 This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.
I još sam tražio, ali bez uspjeha. Nađoh čovjeka - jednog od tisuću, a žene ne nađoh među svima nijedne.
29 I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
Otkrih ovo: Bog stvori čovjeka jednostavnim, a on snuje nebrojene spletke.
