< Pridigar 2 >

1 V svojem srcu sem rekel: »Pojdi sedaj, preizkusil te bom z veseljem, zato uživaj zadovoljstvo.« Glej, tudi to je ničevost.
I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
2 O smehu sem rekel: » To je zmešano.« O veselju: »Kaj to počne?«
I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
3 V svojem srcu sem iskal, da se izročim vinu in vendar sem seznanjal svoje srce z modrostjo in se poprijel neumnosti, dokler ne bi videl, kaj je bilo to dobro za človeške sinove, kar naj bi storili pod nebom vse dni svojega življenja.
I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
4 Naredil sem si velika dela. Zgradil sem si hiše, si zasadil vinograde,
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
5 naredil sem si vrtove in sadovnjake in vanje sem zasadil vse vrste sadnih dreves.
I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
6 Naredil sem si vodne tolmune, da z njimi namakam gozd, ki rojeva drevesa.
I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
7 Pridobil sem si služabnike in dekle in imel služabnike rojene v moji hiši. Prav tako sem imel veliko posesti z veliko in malo živine, povrh vsega kar je bilo v Jeruzalemu pred menoj.
I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,
8 Zbral sem si tudi srebro in zlato in izvoljen zaklad od kraljev in od provinc. Dobil sem si pevce in pevke in radosti človeških sinov, kakor glasbene instrumente in to od vseh vrst.
and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.
9 Tako sem bil velik in narasel bolj kakor vsi, ki so bili pred menoj v Jeruzalemu. Tudi moja modrost je ostala z menoj.
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
10 Karkoli so si moje oči želele, jim tega nisem preprečil, svojega srca nisem zadržal pred nobeno radostjo, kajti moje srce se je veselilo v vsem mojem trudu in to je bil moj delež vsega mojega truda.
Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Potem sem pogledal na vsa dela, ki sta jih moji roki izvršili in na trud, ki sem se ga trudil delati. Glej, vse je bilo ničevost in draženje duha in ni bilo koristi pod soncem.
Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
12 Obrnil sem se, da bi gledal modrost, norost in neumnost, kajti kaj lahko stori človek, ki prihaja za kraljem? Celó to, kar je bilo že narejeno.
Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?
13 Potem sem videl, da modrost prekaša neumnost, kolikor svetloba prekaša temo.
And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
14 Oči modrega človeka so v njegovi glavi, toda bedak hodi v temi. Zaznal pa sem tudi, da se vsem tem dogaja en dogodek.
The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
15 Potem sem v svojem srcu rekel: »Kakor se dogaja bedaku, tako se dogaja celo meni in zakaj sem bil potem modrejši?« Nato sem rekel v svojem srcu, da je tudi to ničevost.
So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.
16 Kajti na veke ni spomina na modrega bolj kakor na bedaka. Glede na to, da kar je sedaj, bo v dneh, ki bodo prišli, vse pozabljeno. In kako umira moder človek? Kakor bedak.
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!
17 Zato sem zasovražil življenje, ker mi je delo, ki je opravljeno pod soncem, mučno, kajti vse je ničevost in draženje duha.
So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
18 Da, zasovražil sem ves svoj trud, ki sem se ga lotil pod soncem, ker naj bi ga zapustil človeku, ki bo za menoj.
I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 Kdo ve, ali bo moder človek ali bedak? Vendar bo imel oblast nad vsem mojim trudom, v čemer sem se trudil in v čemer sem se pokazal modrega pod soncem. Tudi to je ničevost.
And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
20 Zato sem odšel naokrog, da svojemu srcu povzročim, da obupuje od vsega truda, ki sem ga prijel pod soncem.
So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
21 Kajti je človek, čigar trud je v modrosti, v spoznanju in v nepristranskosti, vendar bo človeku, ki se ni trudil s tem, to zapustil za njegov delež. Tudi to je ničevost in veliko zlo.
When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.
22 Kajti kaj ima človek od vsega svojega truda in od draženja svojega srca, v čemer se je trudil pod soncem?
For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
23 Kajti vsi njegovi dnevi so bridkosti in njegova muka žalost, da, njegovo srce si ponoči ne vzame počitka. Tudi to je ničevost.
Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
24 Nič ni boljšega za človeka, kakor da naj bi jedel in pil ter da naj bi svojo dušo pripravil uživati dobro v svojem trudu. Tudi to sem videl, da je bilo to iz Božje roke.
Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
25 Kajti kdo lahko jé ali kdo lahko hiti k temu bolj kakor jaz?
For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
26 Kajti Bog daje človeku, ki je dober v njegovem pogledu, modrost, spoznanje in radost, toda grešniku daje muko, da zbira in kopiči, da bi lahko dal tistemu, ki je dober pred Bogom. Tudi to je ničevost in draženje duha.
To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

< Pridigar 2 >