Ecclesiastes 4
1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
Opet vidjeh sve nepravde koje se èine pod suncem, i gle, suze onijeh kojima se èini nepravda, i nemaju ko bi ih potješio ni snage da se izbave iz ruku onijeh koji im èine nepravdu; nemaju nikoga da ih potješi.
2 Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.
Zato hvalih mrtve koji veæ pomriješe više nego žive koji još žive.
3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Ali je bolji i od jednijeh i od drugih onaj koji još nije postao, koji nije vidio zla što biva pod suncem.
4 Then I saw all the labour and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbour. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Jer vidjeh svaki trud i svako dobro djelo da od njega biva zavist èovjeku od bližnjega njegova. I to je taština i muka duhu.
5 The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
Bezumnik sklapa ruke svoje, i jede svoje tijelo.
6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labour and chasing after wind.
Bolja je jedna grst u miru nego obje grsti s trudom i mukom u duhu.
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
Opet vidjeh taštinu pod suncem:
8 There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labour, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labour and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
Ima ko je sam, inokosan, nema ni sina ni brata, i opet nema kraja trudu njegovu, i oèi njegove ne mogu da se nasite bogatstva; a ne misli: za koga se muèim i oduzimam svojoj duši dobra? I to je taština i zao posao.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour.
Bolje je dvojici nego jednomu, jer imaju dobru dobit od svoga truda.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
Jer ako jedan padne, drugi æe podignuti druga svojega; a teško jednomu! ako padne, nema drugoga da ga podigne.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?
Jošte ako dvojica spavaju zajedno, grije jedan drugoga; a jedan kako æe se zgrijati?
12 If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
I ako bi ko nadjaèao jednoga, dvojica æe mu odoljeti; i trostruka vrvca ne kida se lako.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.
Bolje je dijete ubogo a mudro nego car star a bezuman, koji se veæ ne zna pouèiti.
14 For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
Jer jedan izlazi iz tamnice da caruje, a drugi koji se rodi da caruje osiromaši.
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.
Vidjeh sve žive koji hode pod suncem gdje pristaju za djetetom drugim, koje æe stupiti na njegovo mjesto.
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Nema kraja narodu koji bijaše pred njim, a koji poslije nastanu neæe se radovati njemu. I to je taština i muka duhu.
