Salamans Mācītājs 12
1 Piemini savu Radītāju savā jaunībā, pirms tās ļaunās dienas nāk un tie gadi tuvojās, kur tu sacīsi: tie man nepatīk.
While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
2 Pirms saule un gaišums un mēnesis un zvaigznes aptumšojās, un padebeši nāk atkal pēc lietus,
[When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
3 Tai laikā, kad tie nama sargi trīcēs, un tie stiprie vīri locīsies, un tie malēji stāvēs klusu, tāpēc ka viņu palicis maz, un tie, kas pa logiem skatās, paliks tumši,
Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
4 Un tās divas durvis pret ielu taps aizslēgtas, tā ka malšanas skaņa paliks lēnāka, un viņš uzmostas, kad putniņa balsi dzird, un kad klusu skan visas dziesmas,
Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
5 Kad arī kalnus bīsies un baiļosies, pa ceļu ejot, un kad tas mandeļu koks ziedēs, un sisenis būs par nastu, un līksmība zudīs; jo cilvēks iet uz savu mūža namu, un tie žēlotāji ies apkārt pa ielām;
You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
6 Pirms tā sudraba virve trūks, un tas zelta trauks saplīst un tas smeļamais pie avota izkalst, un tas skritulis pie akas salūst;
[Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
7 Jo pīšļiem būs atkal zemē griezties, kā tie ir bijuši, un garam atkal pie Dieva, kas to ir devis.
Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
8 Niecība vien! saka tas mācītājs, viss ir niecība!
[So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
9 Nu vēl atliek: šis mācītājs bija gudrs, un viņš ļaudīm mācīja atzīšanu, un sadomāja un izmeklēja un sastādīja daudz sakāmus vārdus.
I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
10 Tas mācītājs meklēja, skaistus vārdus atrast un taisnības vārdus pareizi sarakstīt.
I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
11 Gudru vīru vārdi ir kā dzenuļi, un kā iesistas naglas viņu (atziņas) krājumi, no viena Gana doti.
The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
12 Un beidzot: sargies, mans dēls! Grāmatu rakstīšanai nav gala un daudz lasīšanas nopūlē miesu.
[So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
13 Visas mācības gala vārds ir šis: bīsties Dievu un turi Viņa baušļus, jo tas pienākas visiem cilvēkiem.
[Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
14 Jo Dievs ikkatru darbu vedīs tiesā līdz ar visu, kas ir apslēpts, vai tas labs vai ļauns.
And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
