Pridigar 7
1 Dobro ime je boljše kakor dragoceno mazilo in dan smrti [je boljši] kakor dan rojstva nekoga.
A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 Bolje je iti v hišo žalujočega, kakor iti v hišo pojedine, kajti to je konec vseh ljudi; in živi si bodo to položili k srcu.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
3 Bridkost je boljša kot smeh, kajti z žalostjo obličja je srce postalo boljše.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 Srce modrega je v hiši žalovanja, toda srce bedakov je v hiši veselja.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
5 Bolje je poslušati oštevanje modrega, kakor za človeka poslušati pesem bedakov.
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
6 Kajti kakor je prasketanje trnja pod loncem, tak je smeh bedaka. Tudi to je ničevost.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Zatiranje modrega zagotovo dela besnega in podkupnina uničuje srce.
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Boljši je konec stvari kakor njen začetek, in potrpežljivi v duhu je boljši kakor ponosni v duhu.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
9 V svojem duhu ne bodi nagel, da bi bil jezen, kajti jeza počiva v naročju bedakov.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Ne reci: »Kaj je razlog, da so bili prejšnji dnevi boljši kakor tile?« Kajti glede tega nisi modro poizvedel.
Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11 Modrost je dobra z dediščino; in z njo je korist tistim, ki gledajo sonce.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
12 Kajti modrost je obramba in denar je obramba, toda odličnost spoznanja je, da modrost daje življenje tem, ki jo imajo.
For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
13 Preudari Gospodovo delo, kajti kdo lahko izravna to, kar je on skrivil?
Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
14 Na dan uspevanja bodi radosten, toda na dan nadloge preudari; tudi Bog je postavil enega nasproti drugemu, z namenom, da človek ne bi ničesar našel za njim.
In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
15 Vse stvari sem videl v dneh svoje ničevosti. Je pravičen človek, ki propada v svoji pravičnosti in je zloben človek, ki v svoji zlobnosti podaljšuje svoje življenje.
All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
16 Ne bodi preko mere pravičen niti se ne delaj preveč modrega. Zakaj bi samega sebe uničil?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 Ne bodi preveč zloben niti ne bodi nespameten. Zakaj bi umrl pred svojim časom?
Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 Dobro je, da bi to zgrabil, da, tudi pred tem ne umikaj svoje roke, kajti kdor se boji Boga, bo izmed vseh prišel naprej.
It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
19 Modrost krepi modrega bolj kakor deset silnih mož, ki so v mestu.
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
20 Kajti na zemlji ni pravičnega človeka, ki dela dobro in ne greši.
Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21 Prav tako se ne oziraj na vse besede, ki so izgovorjene, da ne bi slišal svojega služabnika [kako] te preklinja,
Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
22 kajti pogosto tudi tvoje lastno srce ve, da si ti sam podobno preklinjal druge.
For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 Vse to sem preizkusil z modrostjo. Rekel sem: »Moder bom, « toda to je bilo daleč od mene.
All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 To, kar je daleč proč in presegajoče globoko, kdo to lahko spozna?
Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
25 Svoje srce sem posvetil védenju in preiskovanju in iskanju modrosti in razlogu za stvari in da spoznam zlobnost neumnosti, celo nespametnost in norost.
I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
26 Našel sem grenkejše kakor smrt, žensko, čigar srce so pasti in mreže in njene roke kakor trakovi. Kdorkoli ugaja Bogu, bo zbežal pred njo, toda grešnik bo vzet po njej.
and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 »Glej, to sem našel, « pravi pridigar, naštevajoč enega za drugim, da spozna razlog.
See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
28 Kar vendar moja duša išče, toda ne najdem. Našel sem enega med tisočimi, toda ženske med vsemi tistimi nisem našel.
which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Glej, samo to sem našel, da je Bog človeka naredil poštenega, toda oni so iskali mnoge domiselnosti.
Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
