1Dobro ime je boljše nego dišeče mazilo in dan smrti boljši nego dan rojstva.
1A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
2Bolje je iti v hišo žalosti nego v hišo pojedine, ker v oni se vidi konec vseh ljudi, in živeči si to vtisne v srce.
2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
3Boljša je žalost nego smeh, kajti po otožnem obličju se poboljšava srce.
3Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4Srce modrih je v hiši žalosti, bedakov srce pa v hiši veselja.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5Bolje je poslušati karanje modrega nego petje bedakov.
5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6Kajti smeh bedakov je kakor prasketanje trnja, gorečega pod loncem. Tudi to je ničemurnost.
6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7Res, nasilstvo omami modrega in podkupilo uniči razum.
7Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8Boljši je konec reči nego njen začetek; boljši je potrpežljivi nego ošabni.
8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9Ne bodi prenaglega duha za jezo, kajti jeza počiva v nedrjih bedakov.
9Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10Ne govóri: Kako da so bili prejšnji dnevi boljši nego sedanji? Kajti tega ne vprašuješ v modrosti.
10Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11Modrost je enako dobra kakor dediščina in še boljša njim, ki gledajo solnce.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
12Kajti modrost je obrana in denar je obrana, toda prednost znanja je ta, da modrost ohrani v življenju njega, kdor jo ima.
12For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13Glej delo Božje! Kajti kdo more zravnati, kar je on skrivil?
13Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
14Ob dnevi blagostanja bodi vesel, a ob dnevi nesreče pomisli: Tudi ta dan je Bog naredil z onim vred, da človek ne iznajde, kar bode za njim.
14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
15Marsikaj sem videl v dnevih ničemurnosti svoje: je pravičnik, ki gine v pravičnosti svoji, in je brezbožnik, ki podaljša življenje svoje v hudobnosti svoji.
15All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16Ne bodi prepravičen in ne kaži se modrega čez mero: zakaj bi se pogubljal?
16Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17Ne bodi preveč brezbožen in ne bodi bedast: zakaj bi umrl, preden pride tvoj čas?
17Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18Dobro je, da se oprimeš tega, pa tudi onega ne izpustiš iz roke, zakaj kdor se boji Boga, uide vsem tem skrajnostim.
18It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that don’t withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all.
19Modrost jači modrega bolj nego deset mogotcev, ki so v mestu.
19Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20Res, na zemlji ni pravičnega človeka, ki dela dobro in ne greši.
20Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin.
21Naj ti tudi ne sega do srca vse, kar se govori, da ne boš moral slišati, kako te hlapec tvoj preklinja;
21Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22kajti mnogoterikrat, tvoje srce ve, si tudi ti druge klel.
22for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23Vse to sem preizkušal v modrosti. Dejal sem: Hočem biti moder, a daleč je ostala od mene modrost.
23All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; but it was far from me.
24Daleč je, kar je, in pregloboko: kdo more to doseči?
24That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
25Obrnil sem se in srce mi je bilo namenjeno, spoznavati in zasledovati in iskati modrost in pravi razsodek, da bi spoznal, kako je brezbožnost neumna in nespamet besna.
25I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
26In našel sem, kar je grenkejše nego smrt: ženo, čije srce se mreže in zadrge in roke njene spone. Kdor je ugoden Bogu, ji ubeži, grešnika pa ulovi.
26I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27Poglej, to sem našel, pravi Propovednik, ko sem zlagal drugo z drugim, da bi dobil pravi razsodek:
27“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “one to another, to find out the scheme;
28Česar duša moja še vedno išče, pa nisem našel, je to: enega moža iz tisoč sem našel, ali žene med temi vsemi nisem našel nobene.Poglej, samo to sem našel, da je Bog ustvaril človeka poštenega, oni pa iščejo veliko spletk!
28which my soul still seeks; but I have not found. One man among a thousand have I found; but I have not found a woman among all those.
29Poglej, samo to sem našel, da je Bog ustvaril človeka poštenega, oni pa iščejo veliko spletk!
29Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes.”