Propovjednik 12
1 I sjećaj se svoga Stvoritelja u danima svoje mladosti prije nego dođu zli dani i prispiju godine kad ćeš reći: “Ne mile mi se.”
But remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youthful vigor, while the evil days are not yet come, nor those years draw nigh of which thou wilt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 Prije nego potamni sunce i svjetlost, mjesec i zvijezde, i vrate se oblaci iza kiše.
While the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are not yet darkened, and the clouds return not again after the rain;
3 U dan kad zadrhte čuvari kuće i pognu se junaci, i dosađuju se mlinarice jer ih je premalo, i potamne oni koji gledaju kroz prozore;
On the day when the watchmen of the house will tremble and the men of might will bend themselves, and the grinders stand idle, because they are become few, and those be darkened that look through the windows;
4 kad se zatvore ulična vrata, oslabi šum mlina, kad utihne pjev ptice i zamru zvuci pjesme.
And when the two doors on the streets will be locked, while the sound of the mill becometh dull, and man riseth up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
5 Kad je put uzbrdo muka i svaki izlazak prijetnja; a badem je u cvatu, i skakavac ne skače više, i koprov plot puca, jer čovjek ide u svoj vječni dom! A narikače već se kreću ulicama.
Also when men will be afraid of every elevation, and are terrified on every way, and the almond-tree will refuse [its blossom], and the locust will drag itself slowly along, and the desire will gainsay compliance; because man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets;
6 Prije nego se prekine srebrna vrpca i zlatna se svjetiljka razbije i razlupa se vrč na izvoru i slomi točak na bunaru;
While the silver cord is not yet torn loose, and the golden bowl is not crushed, and the pitcher is not broken at the fountain, and the wheel is not crushed at the cistern;
7 i vrati se prah u zemlju kao što je iz nje i došao, a duh se vrati Bogu koji ga je dao.
When the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return unto God who gave it.—
8 Ispraznost nad ispraznostima, veli Propovjednik, sve je ispraznost.
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth: all is vanity.—
9 A osim toga što je sam Propovjednik bio mudar, on je i narod učio mudrosti te je odmjerio, ispitao i sastavio mnogo mudrih izreka.
And in addition to this that Koheleth was wise, he continually also taught the people knowledge, and he probed, and searched out, and composed many proverbs.
10 Ujedno se Propovjednik trudio pronaći prikladne riječi i izravno izraziti istinu.
Koheleth sought to find out acceptable words, and that which would be written down uprightly, even words of truth.
11 Besjede su mudrih ljudi kao ostani i kao pobodeni kolci: pastir se njima služi na dobro svojega stada.
The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails fastened [are the words of] the men of the assemblies, which are given by one shepherd.
12 I na kraju, sine moj, znaj da je neizmjerno mnogo truda potrebno da se napiše knjiga i da mnogo učenje umara tijelo.
But more than all these, my son, take warning for thyself: the making of many books would have no end; and much preaching is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Čujmo svemu završnu riječ: “Boj se Boga, izvršuj njegove zapovijedi, jer - to je sav čovjek.”
The end of the matter is, let us hear the whole: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty of] man.
14 Jer sva će skrivena djela, bila dobra ili zla, Bog izvesti na sud.
For every deed will God bring into the judgment concerning every thing that hath been hidden, whether it be good, or whether it be bad.
