Книга Екклезиаста 9
1 Яко праведнии и мудрии и делания их в руце Божией, и любве же и ненависти несть ведяй человек: вся пред лицем их, суета во всех.
I had my mind consider all this. Wise and good people and everything they do are in God's hands. Love or hate—who knows what will happen to them?
2 Случай един праведному и нечестивому, благому и злому, и чистому и нечистому, и жрущему и не жрущему: якоже благий, тако согрешаяй, якоже кленыйся, тако бояйся клятвы.
Yet we all share the same destiny—those who do right, those who do evil, the good, the religiously-observant and those that are not, those who sacrifice and those who don't. Those who do good are as those who sin, those who make vows to God are as those who don't.
3 Сие лукаво во всяцем сотворенем под солнцем, яко случай един всем: и сердце сынов человеческих исполнися лукавствия, и прелесть в сердцах их и в животе их, и по сих к мертвым.
This is just so wrong—that everyone here on earth should suffer the same fate! On top of that, people's minds are filled with evil. They spend their lives thinking about stupid things, and then they die.
4 Понеже кто есть, иже приобщается ко всем живым? Есть надежда, яко пес живый, той благ паче льва мертва.
But the living still have hope—a live dog is better than a dead lion!
5 Понеже живии разумеют, яко умрут, мертвии же не суть ведущии ничтоже: и ктому несть им мзды, яко забвена есть память их,
The living are conscious of the fact that they're going to die, but the dead have no consciousness of anything. They don't receive any further benefit; they're forgotten.
6 и любовь их и ненависть их и рвение их уже погибе, и части несть им ктому во веки во всяцем творении под солнцем.
Their love, hate, and envy—it's all gone. They have no further part in anything that happens here on earth.
7 Прииди, яждь в веселии хлеб твой и пий во блазе сердцы вино твое, яко уже угодна Богу творения твоя.
So go ahead and eat your food, and enjoy it. Drink your wine with a happy heart. That's what God intends that you should do.
8 Во всяко время да будут ризы твоя белы, и елей на главе твоей да не оскудеет.
Always wear smart clothes and look good.
9 И виждь житие с женою, юже возлюбил еси, во вся дни живота юности твоея, данныя ти под солнцем, вся дни суетствия твоего: яко сие часть твоя в животе твоем и в труде твоем, имже ты трудишися под солнцем.
Enjoy life with the wife that you love—the one God gave you—during all the days of this brief life, all these passing days whose meaning is so hard to understand as you work here on earth.
10 Вся, елика аще обрящет рука твоя сотворити, якоже сила твоя, сотвори: зане несть сотворение и помышление и разум и мудрость во аде, аможе ты идеши тамо. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you do, do it with all your strength, for when you go to the grave there's no more working or thinking, no more knowing or being wise. (Sheol h7585)
11 Обратихся и видех под солнцем, яко ни легким течение, ниже сильным брань, ниже самому мудрому хлеб, ниже разумным богатство, ниже ведущым благодать: яко время и случай случится всем сим.
I thought about other things that happen here on earth. Races are not always won by the fastest runner. Battles are not always decided by the strongest warrior. Also, the wise do not always have food, intelligent people do not always make money, and those who are clever do not always win favor. Time and chance affect all of them.
12 Яко убо не разуме человек времене своего: якоже рыбы уловляемы во мрежи зле, и аки птицы уловляемы в сети: якоже сия, уловляются сынове человечестии во время лукаво, егда нападет на ня внезапу.
You can't predict when your end will come. Just like fish caught in a net, or birds caught in a trap, so people are suddenly caught by death when they least expect it.
13 И сие видех, мудрость под солнцем, и велика есть во мне:
Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
14 град мал, и мужей в нем мало, и приидет нань царь велик и окрест обляжет его, и соделает на него остроги велия,
Once there was a small town with only a few inhabitants. A powerful king came and besieged the town, building great earth ramps against its walls.
15 и обрящет в нем мужа нищаго мудра, и сей спасет град мудростию своею, и человек не воспомяну мужа нищаго онаго.
In that town lived a man who was wise, but poor. He saved the town by his wisdom. But no one remembered to thank that poor man.
16 И рех аз: блага мудрость паче силы, и мудрость нищаго уничижена, и словеса его не суть послушаема.
As I've always said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Yet the wisdom of that poor man was dismissed—people didn't pay attention to what he said.
17 Словеса мудрых в покои слышатся, паче клича обладающих в безумии.
It's better to listen to the calm words of a wise person than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Блага мудрость паче орудий ратных: и согрешаяй един погубит благостыню многу.
It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
