Ecclesiastes 12

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

I sjećaj se svoga Stvoritelja u danima svoje mladosti prije nego dođu zli dani i prispiju godine kad ćeš reći: "Ne mile mi se."

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

Prije nego potamni sunce i svjetlost, mjesec i zvijezde, i vrate se oblaci iza kiše.

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

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;

And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

kad se zatvore ulična vrata, oslabi šum mlina, kad utihne pjev ptice i zamru zvuci pjesme.

Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

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.

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

Prije nego se prekine srebrna vrpca i zlatna se svjetiljka razbije i razlupa se vrč na izvoru i slomi točak na bunaru;

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

i vrati se prah u zemlju kao što je iz nje i došao, a duh se vrati Bogu koji ga je dao.

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

Ispraznost nad ispraznostima, veli Propovjednik, sve je ispraznost.

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

A osim toga što je sam Propovjednik bio mudar, on je i narod učio mudrosti te je odmjerio, ispitao i sastavio mnogo mudrih izreka.

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

Ujedno se Propovjednik trudio pronaći prikladne riječi i izravno izraziti istinu.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

Besjede su mudrih ljudi kao ostani i kao pobodeni kolci: pastir se njima služi na dobro svojega stada.

And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

I na kraju, sine moj, znaj da je neizmjerno mnogo truda potrebno da se napiše knjiga i da mnogo učenje umara tijelo.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Čujmo svemu završnu riječ: "Boj se Boga, izvršuj njegove zapovijedi, jer - to je sav čovjek."

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Jer sva će skrivena djela, bila dobra ili zla, Bog izvesti na sud.