1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 ¶ And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. 15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. 16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man ? as the fool.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 ¶ Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. 20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 ¶ There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto , more than I? 26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
2–BOB
1 Men, Voiz, oʻzimga: “Qani, rohatlanib, bir maza qilay–chi”, — dedim, lekin bu ham behuda ekan. 2 “Kulgi telbalik ekan, rohat qanday foyda keltiradi?” — dedim. 3 Donolik meni boshqarar ekan, koʻnglimni sharob bilan chogʻ qilib koʻray–chi deb, ahmoqlikka oʻz bagʻrimni ochdim. Bu dunyoda odamlar oʻz qisqa hayotlari davomida qanday ish qilsalar ularga foyda kelishini bilmoqchi boʻldim. 4 Buyuk ishlar qildim: oʻzimga uylar qurdim, uzumzorlar barpo qildim, 5 polizlar va bogʻlar yaratdim, u yerlarga har xil mevali daraxtlar ekdim. 6 Oʻsayotgan daraxtlarni sugʻorish uchun hovuzlar qazdirdim. 7 Oʻzim uchun qullar va choʻrilar sotib oldim, uyimda qul–choʻrilar tugʻilib, ularning soni ortib boraverdi. Podalarim shunchalik koʻp ediki, Quddusda mendan oldin yashagan hech kimda bunchalik koʻp mol–qoʻy boʻlmagan. 8 Oʻzim uchun kumushu oltin, shohlarga loyiq ajoyib boyliklardan yigʻdim, juda koʻp yerlarga ega boʻldim. Ayol va erkak qoʻshiqchilar menga xizmat qilishar edi, menga zavq keltiradigan haramim ham katta edi.
9 Men buyuk boʻlib, buyuklikda Quddusda mendan oldin yashaganlarning hammasidan oʻtdim. Donoligim menga pand bermadi. 10 Oʻzim xohlagan hamma narsani oldim, koʻnglim istaganini qildim. Qilgan har bir ishimdan jonim rohatlandi, bu qilgan mehnatlarim evaziga kelgan mukofot edi. 11 Ammo qarasam, oʻz qoʻllarim bilan qilgan ishlarim, qilgan hamma mehnatim — bularning hammasi behuda ekan, shamolning orqasidan quvishday ekan. Bu dunyoda birorta foydali narsa topilmasligini bildim.
12 Shundan keyin yana donolik, telbalik va ahmoqlikni solishtirishga qaror qildim. Vorisim menikidan ham yaxshiroq xulosaga kela olarmidi?! 13 Yorugʻlik qorongʻilikdan yaxshiroq boʻlganiday, donolik ham ahmoqlikdan yaxshiroqligini tushundim:
14 Dononing koʻzi bor,
Nodon esa qorongʻilikda yuradi.
Ammo hammaning taqdiri bir ekanligini ham tushundim. 15 Oʻzimcha: “Nodonning boshiga tushgan narsa mening ham boshimga tushar ekan. Shunday ekan, dono boʻlishning nima foydasi bor?!” deb oʻyladim. “Bu ham behuda!” — dedim. 16 Donolar ham, nodonlar unutilgani kabi, unutiladi, kelajakda hamma birday unutiladi. Nima uchun donolar nodonlarday oʻlishi kerak?! 17 Shuning uchun ham men hayotdan nafratlandim, chunki bu dunyoda qilingan har bir ish menga qaygʻu keltirdi. Hammasi behuda, shamolning orqasidan quvishdaydir.
18 Bu dunyoda mehnat qilib topgan hamma narsamdan nafratlandim, chunki hammasi baribir mendan keyin keladiganlarga qolishini bilardim. 19 Ular dono boʻladimi yoki ahmoqmi, kim biladi? Men bu dunyoda mehnat qilib, donolik bilan topganlarimga baribir oʻshalar egalik qilishadi. Bu ham behudadir. 20 Shunda bu dunyoda qilgan barcha mehnatim uchun yuragim achib, qaygʻura boshladim. 21 Axir, baribir donolik, bilim va mohirlik bilan topilgan narsalar mana shu narsalar uchun ishlamaganlarga qolar ekan. Bu ham behuda, qanday falokat! 22 Bu dunyoda qilgan mehnati va tirishqoqligi uchun odam qanday foyda olarkan–a?! 23 Axir, uning kunlari dardga toʻla boʻlsa, qaygʻudan boshi chiqmasa, hattoki kechalari ham dam ololmasa. Eh, bu ham behuda!
24 Odam uchun yeyish, ichish va qilgan mehnatidan rohatlanishdan yaxshiroq narsa yoʻq. Bu ham Xudodan ekanligini tushundim, 25 axir, Xudosiz kim ovqat yeya oladi, kim rohat topadi?! 26 Xudoga maʼqul boʻlganlarga Xudoning Oʻzi donolik, bilim va quvonch beradi. Gunohkorlarga esa boylik yigʻish ishtiyoqini beradi–yu, ularning ishlab topganlarini olib, Xudo Oʻziga maʼqul boʻlganlarga ato etadi. Gunohkorlarning bu ishlari ham behuda va shamolning orqasidan quvishdaydir.
