Wisdom of Solomon, 4

1. O how beautiful is the chaste fruit of purity! For its remembrance is immortal, because it is observed both with God and with men.

1. Bolje i ne imati djece a posjedovati krepost, jer je spomen njezin besmrtan, i Bog i ljudi je cijene.

2. When it is present, they imitate it, and they desire it when it has withdrawn itself, and it triumphs crowned forever, winning the reward of undefiled conflicts.

2. Kad je nazoèna, oponašaju je, kad je odsutna, priželjkuju je; okrunjena vjeèno slavlje slavi, jer je pobijedila u borbama bez ljage.

3. But the great number of the many different kinds of the impious will not be to their advantage, and spurious seedlings will not be given deep roots, nor will they establish any firm foundation.

3. A mnogobrojno potomstvo bezbožnika nije ni za što; izdanci se neèisti duboko ne korijene i nemaju èvrsta temelja.

4. And if they spring forth with branches for a time, yet, being set infirmly, they will be shaken by the wind, and, by the superabundance of the winds, they will be eradicated.

4. Jer ako se naèas i razgranaju, slabo ukorijenjeni, na vjetru se zaljuljaju, išèupa ih sila vihora,

5. For the incomplete branches will be broken, and their fruits will be useless, and bitter to eat, and fit for nothing.

5. i grane što tek su izbile polomi i plod im je beskoristan, nezreo za jelo i nije ni za što.

6. For all the sons born from iniquity are witnesses of wickedness against their parents at their interrogation.

6. Jer djeca roðena iz nezakonita spavanja svjedoèe na sudu o zlu roditelja.

7. But the just, if death seizes him beforehand, will be refreshed.

7. A pravednik, ako i umre prijevremeno, naæi æe mir.

8. For old age is made venerable, neither by lasting long, nor by counting the number of years; yet understanding is the gray hair of wisdom for men,

8. Jer duljina dana ne èini starost èasnom niti se ona mjeri brojem godina.

9. and an immaculate life is a generation of sages.

9. Veæ razboritost - to su sjedine ljudske, i krepostan život - zrela starost.

10. Pleasing to God, having been made beloved, and living among sinners, he was transformed.

10. I jer je ugaðao Bogu, On ga je zavolio, i jer je živio meðu grešnicima, On ga je uzeo k sebi.

11. He was quickly taken away, for malice could not alter his understanding, nor could deceit beguile his soul.

11. Uzdignut je da zloæa ne bi izopaèila njegov razbor ili da mu himba ne zavede duše.

12. For fascination with entertainment obscures good things, and the unfaithfulness of desire subverts the mind without malice.

12. Jer blještavilo opaèine zasjenjuje dobro i vihor požude izopaèuje dobru dušu.

13. Completed in a short time, he fulfilled many times.

13. Stekavši savršenstvo u malo vremena, dugo je živio;

14. Truly his soul was pleasing to God. Because of this, he hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquities, but the people see this and do not understand, nor do they place such things in their hearts:

14. i jer mu je duša bila draga Gospodu, On ga je hitro izbavio od zloæe oko njega. Svjetina sve to vidi, ali ne shvaæa; njima i ne pada na um

15. that the grace and mercy of God is with his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.

15. da milost i milosrðe pripadaju izabranicima Gospodnjim i zaštita njegovim svetima.

16. But the just dead will condemn the impious living, and youth hastily completed results in a long unjust life.

16. A pravednik koji umire osuðuje žive bezbožnike i prijevremeno dokonèana mladost produženu starost opakih.

17. For they will see the end of the wise, and will neither understand, nor imagine, that he is of God, and that therefore the Lord has safeguarded him.

17. Svjetina vidi kraj mudraèev, ali ne shvaæa što je Gospod s njim naumio ili zašto ga je uzeo u zaštitu.

18. For they will see and despise him, but the Lord will ridicule them.

18. Oni gledaju i preziru, ali æe se i njima Gospod podsmijevati.

19. And after this, they will fall without honor and with contempt among the dead forever. Seeing that they are puffed up and speechless, he will shatter them and will shake them from the foundations all the way to the top, to their utter desolation, and they will grieve and their remembrance will perish.

19. Ubrzo æe oni biti trupla prezrena i ruglo meðu mrtvima dovijeka, jer æe ih Gospod strmoglaviti bez glasa, otrgnut æe ih od temelja njihova, sasvim ih opustošiti; na mukama æe oni biti i spomen æe im propasti.

20. They will hurry with fear at the understanding of their sins, and their iniquities will bear witness against them.

20. Puni straha doæi æe na obraèun grijeha, i bezakonja njihova u lice æe ih optuživati.