1A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
1Bolji je dobar glas nego skupocjeno ulje, i smrtni dan nego dan rođenja.
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.
2Bolje je ići u kuću gdje je žalost nego u kuću gdje je gozba, jer ondje je kraj svakoga čovjeka, i tko je živ, nek' primi k srcu!
3Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
3Bolji je jad nego smijeh, jer pod žalosnim licem srce je radosno.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
4Srce je mudrih ljudi u kući žalosti, a srce bezumnih u kući veselja.
5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
5Bolje je poslušati ukor mudra čovjeka negoli slušati hvalospjev luđaka.
6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
6Jer kao prasak trnja ispod kotla, takav je smijeh luđaka, i to je ispraznost.
7Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
7Jer smijeh od mudraca čini luđaka i veselje kvari srce.
8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
8Bolji je svršetak stvari nego njezin početak i bolja je strpljivost od oholosti.
9Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
9Ne nagli u srdžbu, jer srdžba počiva u srcu luđaka.
10Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
10Ne pitaj zašto su negdašnja vremena bila bolja od ovih, jer to nije mudro pitanje.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
11Mudrost je dragocjena baština i probitak onima na koje sunce sja.
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.
12Jer kao što je novac zaštita, tako je i mudrost; a prednost je mudrosti u tome što izbavlja onoga tko je ima.
13Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
13Pogledaj djela Božja; tko može ispraviti što je on iskrivio?
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.
14U sretan dan uživaj sreću, a u zao dan razmišljaj: Bog je stvorio jedno kao i drugo - da čovjek ne otkrije ništa od svoje budućnosti.
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.
15Svašta vidjeh u svojemu ništavnom životu: pravednik propada unatoč svojoj pravednosti, a bezbožnik i dalje živi unatoč svojoj bezbožnosti.
16Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
16Ne budi prepravedan i ne budi premudar; zašto da se uništavaš?
17Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
17Ne budi preopak i ne budi lud; zašto bi umro prije vremena?
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.
18Dobro je da držiš jedno, ali ni drugo ne puštaj iz ruke, jer tko se boji Boga, izbavlja se od svega.
19Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
19Mudrost mudraca veću moć daje gradu nego deset mogućnika.
20Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin.
20Na zemlji nema pravednika koji, čineći dobro, ne bi nikad sagriješio.
21Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
21I još jedno: nemoj se obazirati na govorkanje; čut ćeš možda da te sluga tvoj proklinjao;
22for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
22a zna tvoje srce kako si i ti često druge proklinjao.
23All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; but it was far from me.
23Sve sam to mudrošću iskušao. Mislio sam da sam mudar, ali mi je mudrost bila nedokučiva.
24That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
24Ono što jest, daleko je i duboko, tako duboko - tko da i pronađe?
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.
25I još jednom pokušah istražiti i shvatiti mudrost i smisao, da spoznam opačinu kao ludost, a ludost kao bezumlje.
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.
26Otkrih da ima nešto gorče od smrti - žena, ona je zamka, srce joj je mreža, a ruke okovi; tko je Bogu drag, izmiče joj, a grešnik je njezin sužanj.
27“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “one to another, to find out the scheme;
27Eto, to sam sve u svemu otkrio, veli Propovjednik.
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.
28I još sam tražio, ali bez uspjeha. Nađoh čovjeka - jednog od tisuću, a žene ne nađoh među svima nijedne.
29Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes.”
29Otkrih ovo: Bog stvori čovjeka jednostavnim, a on snuje nebrojene spletke.