Mudre Izreke 23
1 Kad sjedneš blagovati s moćnikom. dobro pazi što je pred tobom;
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
2 stavljaš nož sebi pod grlo ako si proždrljivac;
and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 ne poželi slastica njegovih jer su jelo prijevarno.
Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
4 Ne trudi se stjecati bogatstvo; okani se takve misli;
Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
5 usmjeriš li oči prema njemu, njega već nema jer načini sebi krila kao orao i odleti u nebo.
wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
6 Ne jedi jela zavidnikova, ne čezni za slasticama njegovim,
Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
7 jer on je onakav kako u sebi misli: “Jedi i pij”, veli ti, ali mu srce nije s tobom.
For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Zalogaj koji si pojeo izbljuvat ćeš, uzalud ćeš prosut' svoje ljupke riječi.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
9 Pred bezumnikom nemoj govoriti jer prezire tvoje umne riječi.
Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Ne pomiči prastare međe i ne prodiri u polje siročadi,
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 jer je moćan njihov osvetnik: branit će njihovo pravo protiv tebe.
for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
12 Obrati pouci srce svoje i uho svoje riječima mudrim.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ne uskraćuj djetetu opomene, jer, udariš li ga šibom, neće umrijeti:
Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Sine moj, kad ti je mudro srce, i ja se od srca veselim;
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 i kliče sva nutrina moja kad ti usne govore što je pravo.
and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Neka ti srce ne zavidi grešnicima, nego neka ti uvijek bude u strahu Gospodnjem,
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
18 jer imat ćeš budućnost i tvoja nada neće propasti.
for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Slušaj, sine moj, i mudar budi i ravnim putem vodi srce svoje.
Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
20 Ne druži se s vinopijama ni sa žderačima mesa,
Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
21 jer pijanica i izjelica osiromaše i pospanac se oblači u krpe.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Slušaj svoga oca, svoga roditelja, i ne prezri majku kad ostari.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Pribavi istinu i ne prodaji je, steci mudrost, pouku i razbor.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
24 Radovat će se otac pravednikov, i roditelj će se mudroga veseliti.
The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
25 Neka se veseli otac tvoj i majka tvoja, i neka se raduje roditeljka tvoja.
let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Daj mi, sine moj, srce svoje, i neka oči tvoje raduju putovi moji.
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 Jer bludnica je jama duboka i tuđinka tijesan zdenac.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ona i vreba u zasjedi kao lupež i uvećava broj bezbožnika među ljudima.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Komu: ah? komu: jao? komu: svađe? komu: uzdasi? komu: rane nizašto? komu: zamućene oči?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
30 Onima što kasno sjede kod vina, koji su došli kušati vino začinjeno.
— They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Ne gledaj na vino kad rujno iskri, kad se u čaši svjetlucavo prelijeva: pije se tako glatko,
Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
32 a na kraju ujeda kao zmija i žaca kao guja ljutica.
at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Oči će ti gledati tlapnje i srce govoriti ludosti.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
34 I bit će ti kao da ležiš na pučini morskoj ili kao da ležiš navrh jarbola.
and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:
35 “Izbiše me, ali me ne zabolje; istukoše me, ali ne osjetih; kad se otrijeznim, još ću tražiti.”
— “They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
