Pieņem un baudi dzīvi tādu, kāda tā ir
1 To visu es apsvēru sirdī un izprātoju, ka taisnie un gudrie un viņu darbi ir Dieva rokā: vai mīlestība, vai naids, to cilvēks nezina, viss viņiem priekšā. 2 Vienādi visiem, viens liktenis taisnajam un ļaundarim, labam un šķīstam un nešķīstam, upurētājam un tam, kas nenes upurus. Kā labajam, tā grēciniekam! Tam, kas zvēr, tāpat kā tam, kurš vairās zvēresta! 3 Redzi, kāds ļaunums ir visā, kas notiek zem saules: viens liktenis visiem, un cilvēkbērnu sirds ir ļaunuma pilna, un dulnums tiem sirdī, kamēr tie dzīvi, un pēc tam – prom pie mirušajiem!
4 Kurš pieskaitīts dzīvajiem,
tam ir cerība –
jo, patiesi, labāk dzīvs suns
nekā miris lauva!
5 Jo dzīvie zina, ka viņi mirs,
bet mirušie nezina neko,
un nekā tiem vairs neiegūt –
pat atmiņa par tiem ir zudusi.
6 Gan viņu mīlestība, gan viņu naids,
gan viņu skaudība jau ir zudusi,
un nemūžam viņiem vairs nebūs daļas
pie tā, kas notiek zem saules.
7 Ej un ēd savu maizi ar prieku,
dzer līksmā prātā savu vīnu –
Dievam patīk, ko tu dari!
8 Lai tavas drānas vienmēr ir baltas
un svaidāmā eļļa tev uz galvas!
9 Baudi dzīvi ar sievieti, kuru mīli,
visas savas nīcīgās dzīves dienas,
ko viņš tev devis zem saules –
visas savas nīcīgās dienas,
jo tā tava daļa dzīvē un pūliņos,
kamēr tu nopūlies zem saules!
10 Ko tava roka spēj izdarīt,
to dari ar visu spēku,
jo tur nebūs ne darba, ne domas,
ne zināšanas, ne gudrības – kapā,
kurp tu dodies.
11 Redzi, ko vēl es ieraudzīju zem saules:
nedz žiglākie uzvar skrējienā,
nedz spēcīgākie kaujā,
nedz gudrākajiem maize,
nedz saprātīgākajiem bagātība,
nedz zinīgākajiem vēlība –
laiks un gadījums valda pār visiem.
12 Jo cilvēks nezina savu stundu!
Tāpat kā zivis, kas krīt ļaunā tīklā,
un kā putnus, kas notverti cilpā,
tāpat cilvēkbērnus sagūsta ļauns laiks,
kas tiem pēkšņi uznāk.
Gudrība labāka par spēku
13 Arī te es saskatīju gudrību, kas zem saules, un man tā izlikās liela. 14 Bija kāda maza pilsēta, un tajā nedaudz cilvēku, un liels ķēniņš nāca pret to un aplenca, un uzcēla pret to augstus torņus. 15 Bet tur atradās gudrs nabaga vīrs, un viņš izglāba pilsētu ar savu gudrību, bet neviens to nabaga vīru neatcerējās.
16 Un es saku:
labāk gudrība nekā spēks –
tomēr nabaga gudrība top nicināta
un viņa vārdos neklausās.
17 Labāk uzklausīt, ko gudrais klusībā saka,
nevis ko muļķu pavēlnieks kliedz.
18 Gudrība ir pārāka par kara rīkiem,
bet viens grēcinieks var pazudināt daudz laba!
1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. 2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 ¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7 ¶ Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
11 ¶ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 ¶ This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
