Propovednik 9
1 Doista sve ovo složih u srce svoje da bih rasvijetlio sve to, kako su pravedni i mudri i djela njihova u ruci Božijoj, a èovjek ne zna ni ljubavi ni mržnje od svega što je pred njim.
I thought about all those things, and I concluded that God controls [what happens to] everyone, even those who are wise and those who are righteous. No one knows whether [others] will love them or whether they will hate them.
2 Sve biva svjema jednako: pravedniku biva kao bezbožniku, dobromu i èistomu kao neèistomu, onome koji prinosi žrtvu kao onome koji ne prinosi, kako dobromu tako grješniku, onome koji se kune kao onome koji se boji zakletve.
[But we know that some time in the future] we will all die; it does not matter whether we act righteously or wickedly, whether we are good or whether we are bad, whether we are acceptable for [worshiping God] or whether [we have done things to cause us to be] unacceptable; it does not matter if we offer sacrifices [to God] or if we do not; it does not matter if we do what we have promised God that we will do or if we do not; [we all die]. The same thing will happen to good people and to sinful people, to those who solemnly promise [to do things for God] and to those who are afraid to make such promises.
3 A to je najgore od svega što biva pod suncem što svjema jednako biva, te je i srce ljudsko puno zla, i ludost im je u srcu dok su živi, a potom umiru.
It seems wrong that the same thing happens to everyone on this earth: Everyone dies [EUP]. Furthermore, people’s inner beings are full of evil. People do foolish things while they are alive, and then they die and join those who are already dead.
4 Jer ko æe biti izabran? U živijeh svijeh ima nadanja; i psu živu bolje je nego mrtvu lavu.
While we are alive, we confidently expect [that good things will happen to us]. [We despise] dogs, but it is better to be a dog that is alive than to be a [majestic] lion that is dead.
5 Jer živi znaju da æe umrijeti, a mrtvi ne znaju ništa niti im ima plate, jer im se spomen zaboravio.
We who are alive know that [some day] we will die, but dead people do not know anything. Dead people do not receive any more rewards, and people soon forget them.
6 I ljubavi njihove i mržnje njihove i zavisti njihove nestalo je, i više nemaju dijela nigda ni u èemu što biva pod suncem.
[While they were alive], they loved [some people], they hated [some people], they envied [some people], but that all ends when they die. They will never again be a part of anything that happens here on the earth.
7 Hajde, jedi hljeb svoj s radošæu, i vesela srca pij vino svoje, jer su mila Bogu djela tvoja.
[So I say], be joyful [DOU] while you eat your food and drink your wine, because that is what God wants you to do.
8 Svagda neka su ti haljine bijele, i ulja na glavi tvojoj da se ne premièe.
Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
9 Uživaj život sa ženom koju ljubiš svega vijeka svojega taštega, koji ti je dat pod suncem za sve vrijeme taštine tvoje, jer ti je to dio u životu i od truda tvojega kojim se trudiš pod suncem.
Enjoy living with your wife whom you love, all during the time that God has given to you to be alive here on this earth. And even though it is difficult to understand why many things happen, enjoy doing the work that you do here on this earth.
10 Sve što ti doðe na ruku da èiniš, èini po moguænosti svojoj, jer nema rada ni mišljenja ni znanja ni mudrosti u grobu u koji ideš. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you are able to do, do it with all your energy, because [some time you will die], and in the place of the dead where you are going, no one works or plans to do anything or knows anything or is wise. (Sheol h7585)
11 Opet vidjeh pod suncem da nije do brzijeh trka, ni rat do hrabrijeh, ni hljeb do mudrijeh, ni bogatstvo do razumnijeh, ni dobra volja do vještijeh, nego da sve stoji do vremena i zgode.
I have seen something else here on the earth: The person who runs fastest does not [always] win the race, the strongest soldiers do not [always] win the battle, the wisest people do not [always] have food, the smartest people do not [always] become rich, and people who have studied a lot are not [always] (honored/treated very specially) by others; we cannot [always] control what things will happen to us and where they will happen.
12 Jer èovjek ne zna vremena svojega, nego kao što se ribe hvataju mrežom nesreænom i kao što se ptice hvataju pruglom, tako se hvataju sinovi èovjeèiji u zao èas, kad navali na njih iznenada.
No one knows when he will die [EUP]; fish are cruelly caught in a net, and birds are caught in snares/traps; similarly [SIM], people experience disasters at times when they do not expect them to happen.
13 Vidjeh i ovu mudrost pod suncem, koja mi se uèini velika:
Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
14 Bijaše malen grad i u njemu malo ljudi; i doðe na nj velik car, i opkoli ga i naèini oko njega velike opkope.
There was a small town, where only a few people lived. The army of a great king came to that town and surrounded it. They built dirt ramps up against the walls in order to climb up and attack the town.
15 A naðe se u njemu siromah èovjek mudar, koji izbavi grad mudrošæu svojom, a niko se ne sjeæaše toga siromaha èovjeka.
In that town there was a man who was poor but very wise. Because of doing what that man [suggested], the town was saved; but people [soon] forgot about him.
16 Tada ja rekoh: bolja je mudrost nego snaga, ako se i ne maraše za mudrost onoga siromaha i rijeèi se njegove ne slušahu.
So I realized that although being wise is better than being strong, if you are poor, no one will appreciate what you do, and people will soon forget what you said.
17 Rijeèi mudrijeh ljudi valja s mirom slušati više nego viku onoga koji zapovijeda meðu ludima.
Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
18 Bolja je mudrost nego oružje ubojito; ali jedan grješnik kvari mnogo dobra.
Being wise is more useful than [a lot of] weapons; but if you do one foolish thing, [it is possible that] because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.
