Propovednik 10
1 Od mrtvijeh muha usmrdi se i pokvari ulje apotekarsko, tako od malo ludosti cijena mudrosti i slavi.
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
2 Srce je mudromu s desne strane, a ludomu je s lijeve strane.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
3 Bezumnik i kad ide putem, bez razuma je i kazuje svjema da je bezuman.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 Ako se podigne na te gnjev onoga koji vlada, ne ostavljaj mjesta svojega, jer blagost uklanja velike grijehe.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Ima zlo koje vidjeh pod suncem, kao pogrješka koja dolazi od vladaoca:
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Ludost se posaðuje na najviše mjesto, i bogati sjede na niskom mjestu.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Vidjeh sluge na konjma, a knezovi idu pješice kao sluge.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Ko jamu kopa, u nju æe pasti, i ko razvaljuje ogradu, uješæe ga zmija.
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
9 Ko odmièe kamenje, udariæe se o njih; ko cijepa drva, nije miran od njih.
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 Kad se zatupi gvožðe i oštrice mu se ne naoštri, tada treba više snage; ali mudrost može bolje opraviti.
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
11 Ako ujede zmija prije bajanja, ništa neæe pomoæi bajaè.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Rijeèi iz usta mudroga ljupke su, a bezumnoga proždiru usne njegove.
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 Poèetak je rijeèima usta njegovijeh ludost, a svršetak govoru njegovu zlo bezumlje.
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 Jer ludi mnogo govori, a èovjek ne zna što æe biti; i ko æe mu kazati što æe poslije njega biti?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Lude mori trud njihov, jer ne znaju ni u grad otiæi.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Teško tebi, zemljo, kad ti je car dijete i knezovi tvoji rano jedu!
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 Blago tebi, zemljo, kad ti je car plemenit i knezovi tvoji jedu na vrijeme da se potkrijepe a ne da se opiju.
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 S lijenosti ugiblje se krov i s nemarnijeh ruku prokapljuje kuæa.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 Radi veselja gotove se gozbe, i vino veseli žive, a novci vrše sve.
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 Ni u misli svojoj ne psuj cara, ni u klijeti, u kojoj spavaš, ne psuj bogatoga, jer ptica nebeska odnijeæe glas i što krila ima dokazaæe rijeè.
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
