Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth an offensive odor: [so doth] a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom [and] honor.
Mrtve muhe lekarnarjevemu mazilu povzročijo, da od sebe širi smrdljiv vonj; tako je majhna neumnost tistemu, ki ima sloves zaradi modrosti in časti.
2 A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool's heart [is] at his left.
Srce modrega človeka je pri njegovi desnici, toda bedakovo srce pri njegovi levici.
3 Also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth [him], and he saith to every one [that] he [is] a fool.
Da, tudi kadar kdor je bedak, hodi po poti, ga njegova modrost izneverja in vsakemu govori, da je bedak.
4 If the spirit of the ruler riseth against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offenses.
Če vladarjev duh vstane zoper tebe, ne zapusti svojega mesta, kajti ustrežljivost pomirja velike prestopke.
5 There is an evil [which] I have seen under the sun, as an error [which] proceedeth from the ruler:
Je zlo, ki sem ga videl pod soncem, kakor pomota, ki izvira od vladarja:
6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
neumnost je postavljena na visoko dostojanstvo, bogati pa sedijo na nizkem kraju.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
Videl sem služabnike na konjih, prince pa hoditi kakor služabniki po tleh.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Kdor koplje jamo, bo padel vanjo, kdorkoli pa lomi ograjo, ga bo pičila kača.
9 Whoever removeth stones shall be hurt by them; [and] he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered by it.
Kdorkoli odstranja kamne, bo z njimi poškodovan in kdor cepi drva, bo s tem izpostavljen nevarnosti.
10 If the iron is blunt, and he doth not whet the edge, then must he use more strength: but wisdom [is] profitable to direct.
Če je železo topo in ne nabrusi ostrine, potem mora vložiti več moči; toda modrost je koristna, da usmerja.
11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
Zagotovo bo kača pičila brez izrekanja uroka in blebetavec ni boljši.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Besede iz ust modrega moža so milostljive, toda ustnice bedaka bodo samega sebe pogoltnile.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness.
Začetek besed iz njegovih ust je nespametnost, konec njegovega govora pa je pogubna norost.
14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Tudi bedak je poln besed. Človek ne more povedati kaj bo, in kaj bo za njim, kdo mu lahko pove?
15 The labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
Trud nespametnih izčrpava vsakogar izmed njih, ker ne ve kako iti do mesta.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Gorje tebi, oh dežela, kadar je tvoj kralj otrok in tvoji princi jedo zjutraj!
17 Blessed [art] thou, O land, when thy king [is] the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
Blagoslovljena si ti, oh dežela, kadar je tvoj kralj sin plemičev in tvoji princi jedo v pravšnjem obdobju, za moč in ne za pijanost!
18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
Z veliko lenobe zgradba propada in zaradi brezdelja rok kaplja skozi hišo.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all [things].
Praznovanje je narejeno za smeh in vino dela vesele, toda denar odgovarja vsem stvarem.
20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wings will tell the matter.
Ne preklinjaj kralja niti v svojih mislih in ne preklinjaj bogatega v svoji spalnici, kajti zračna ptica bo odnesla glas in kar ima peruti, bo povedalo zadevo.
